Editing Office - Geneva 

With his notepad and pen reporting with objectivity the state of health of his society, journalist Agba Jalingo has remained in detention and is standing trial for alleged terrorism and treason in Nigeria. The IHRC Situation Room has described this as unfair and raised the question; whether if a society is ill, the journalist has no responsibility to point it out? H.E Dr. Tivlumun Innocent Ahure, the African Region HQ, Secretary General of the International Human Rights Commission Geneva Switzerland, restated this in an illustration that writers have a right to express patriotism while carrying out their functions. Speaking to the Head and other officials of the IHRC Nigeria office who advanced reasons on the illegality of this arrest of Agba Jalingo in a letter to the IHRC Situation Room, Dr. Ahure drew a line between what is permissible and what is not, what is possible and what is not as far as the journalism profession is concerned. 

Ahure stated that the role of the journalist is not a rigid position and "I am calling on the numerous trade unions for writers to ensure they play their part to explain this frame in order to keep their members safe at all times. This is also how to get the Nigerian government to recognize and allow freedom of creative expressions by journalists.