Nigerian university suspends campus news publication over critical report

The Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) has ordered the suspension of the operations of a campus-based news publication, Pen Press, for allegedly publishing a story to tarnish the institution’s reputation.

The suspension order dated 14 August was contained in a letter from the Dean of Students Affairs to the editor-in-chief of the campus-based publication.

“I am writing to formally notify you of the suspension of Pen Press’s activities, effective immediately, due to concerns related to a recent publication. Pen Press published an article titled ‘UDUS Students Face Wrath of Poor Drainage’,” the letter signed by the secretary to the dean, Mahmud Isah, read in part.

The letter noted that though “the intention behind the article may have been to address important issues, the manner in which it was presented has raised significant concerns within the university administration.”

Without providing details, the institution accused the publication of not adhering to “journalistic standards and university policies”. It also alleged that the publication contained “factual inaccuracies or misleading information” capable of causing “potential harm to the university’s reputation”.

“In view of the above, Pen Press’s activities are hereby suspended until further notice. During this suspension period, Pen Press is required to cease all publications and distribution of content and to refrain from conducting interviews or gathering news,” the letter declared.

When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, the university spokesperson, Samaila Yauri, said he wasn’t aware of the development and promised to return on Monday.

Meanwhile, the institution’s Deputy Dean of the Students’ Affairs, Mukhtar Tukur, asked our reporter to write to the dean’s office for a formal response.

“It is not advisable to just respond to anybody anyhow. It may be right; you are a journalist, and it may not be right. So please put a formal request to that effect,” he told our reporter on Thursday.

The contentious story

The platform’s editor, Abdulrasheed Akere, told PREMIUM TIMES the story referred to in the letter was published on 2 August. The story, reviewed by our reporter, detailed the unsanitary condition of the drainage and water systems in Zamfara Hostel, one of the hostels at the university.

In a copy of the now-deleted story obtained by this newspaper, students were quoted lamenting the unhygienic conditions and the passage of water from the upper floors, affecting students living on the lower floors of the hostel.

“The situation has bred enmity among the students. Numerous complaints about the poor water drainage have been reported to the security unit,” parts of the story read.

The story noted that a fight broke out among students living in Block A and Block C hostels because of the improper movement of wastewater. It also quoted students seeking long-lasting solutions to address the issue.

In the story reviewed by this newspaper, the hall governor, Happiness Benjamin, contacted by the reporter, said the fault came from the way the building was constructed. The chairperson of the Students’ Union, Abdullahi Sanusi, also contacted by the reporter, said the university management would be notified.

Mr Akere told this newspaper that the author texted Mr Tukur requesting comments for the story but did not get a response, although the published story did not indicate the efforts made to reach out to Mr Tukur.

Meanwhile, Mr Akere said Mr Tukur later explained that he saw the text message but refused to reply because he called the matron of the hostel and the matron told him there was no such issue.

Pressed on Thursday evening to comment on the claim that he ignored the author’s text message, Mr Tukur insisted that our reporter should write to the Dean of Students’ Affair for a formal response.

The summons and aftermath

Days after the publication, Mr Akere, the editor, was summoned by Mr Tukur, the Deputy Dean of the Students’ Affairs. Mr Akere said Mr Tukur questioned the publication’s use of the picture of the hostel’s veranda in the story.

“He asked me what the meaning of drainage is. I said it is any structure that collects water from one place to another. Then he asked me if a corridor or veranda of any building is drainage. I said no. Then he asked why we used the picture in our report,” Mr Akere narrated to our reporter.

“I explained to him that the water collected by a drainage pipe drops in the front doors of the students staying downstairs where the water stays stagnant, and we showed it so that the public can see what we are referring to as the stagnant water causing problems. It caused a fight last semester, and some students injured each other.”

Mr Akere said he, the reporter who authored the story, Aishat Mustapha, and the publication’s principal editor met with Mr Tukur the following day to plead with him and explain the story. He said the official asked them to leave his office.

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“After that, I went to meet him again. He said, ‘This is the third time Pen Press is tarnishing the image of the school’ and that he was going to punish us,” he said.

Mr Akere said he also pleaded with him on the third day, but that Mr Tukur insisted that they ‘must be punished’. He added that he had informed the dean and that the dean would withdraw the publication’s licence.

On Tuesday, Mr Akere received a text message from the secretary of the dean’s office inviting him to receive a letter addressed to him.