Daily Independent Online.
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Friday, June 11, 2004.
Deputy Gov denies fresh clash, killings in Benue
By Orkula Shaagee
Correspondent, Abuja
Media reports that 20 people were killed in
a fresh communal clash that erupted in Benue State has been refuted by the
state Deputy Governor, Prince Ogiri Ajene.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor,
Tahav Agerzua in a statement in Abuja, quoted Ajene as saying though there have been pockets of violent
clashes in the state recently, they have never reached the proportion reported
in some newspapers. The state government has brought the situation under
control, he added.
The deputy governor described the stories
as false, insisting that no such incident took place in the state, and that no
organisation known as the Benue Militia exists in the state.
He emphasised that communal clashes are not
exclusive to the state and condemned the tendency of some sections of the media
to create sensation and exaggerate negative reports about the state.
Ajene appealed to journalists to live up to their
professional calling of objectivity, fairness, balance and accurate reporting,
saying the state government will remain accessible to journalists and continue
to provide appropriate information to media practitioners to ensure accurate
presentation of facts on matters concerning the state.
