“In fact, Boko Haram (the Islamic State of West Africa Province as they like to be known) is as deadly today as it can ever be. This time around, thousands of them are not in their caliphate that is known to all, they are dispersed to the most unlikely places developing cells and creating new platforms to launch surprise attacks, whether on soft targets or not.”
Ahmad Salkida
The above excerpt is taken from a February 16, 2016 article of Ahmad Salkida titled, “Boko Haram: it’s about human lives not territories.” As we know, Salkida, the Nigerian freelance journalist known to have access to the terror group, Boko Haram, was declared wanted Monday by the Nigerian Army. Two other persons: Aisha Wakil and Ahmad Bolori, were also on the Army’s list of infamy.
According to the army, the trio were suspected to be collaborators with the Boko Haram insurgents after a preliminary investigation of the latest video of the missing Chibok girls released by the terrorists. While the other two had reported to the army authorities, Salkida who apparently resides in the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) had said he would only show up upon receipt of air tickets from the army.
The Nigerian Army declaring Salkida, a journalist, wanted has raised a cloud of dust especially among his colleagues most of who plead he has some kind of ‘professional immunity’. Some have argued that he owes a duty to his readers to report news as it is, while others weighed in that his sources too must be protected no matter who they may be.
Who is Ahmad Salkida? To put the matter into perspective, we must first attempt to fathom the true persona of Salkida. The best we know of him is that he is an indigene of Borno State. His biodata online is scanty, but it indicates that Salkida is self-educated, but certainly not in media studies or journalism.
Though his background is hazy and unspecified, he is known to have been familiar with the early Boko Haram clergies including Mohammed Yusuf in his teenage days in Maiduguri. The sect had been quite influential in the 90s and the then Governor Ali Modu Sheriff had deployed it to his political advantage. He is blamed for corrupting their pristine ideals and indeed, radicalising them.
According to a colleague of Salkida in one Abuja-based daily he worked with briefly, Salkida whom he described as a very brilliant and wild-eyed young man with the heart of a lion, had always been part of the Maiduguri radical sect’s implosion galvanised by Sheriff. When therefore Boko Haram became a cause célèbre, it was easy for him to cross the red line and waltz in and out of the danger zone.
Given his connection with the Abuja media circle even before social media became popular, Salkida was able to serve his ‘friends’ in the sect, providing ‘media intelligence’ and direction. As the sect morphed into a full blown terror group with the killing of Yusuf in July 2009 and the bloody revenge attacks of 2010, Salkida also grew in influence especially with a few exclusive reports about the sect. He immediately became an authority of sort not only on the sect but on ‘conflict reporting’ as his biodata suggests.
Of journalism ethos, ethics and news source: The Salkida episode requires more detailed interrogation and needs be held up as a case study in media faculties and journalism schools. It must be stated that Salkida is not a journalist in the classical sense of it – neither by training nor by practice. Providence simply thrust him into the biggest story of our time and how he has reacted to it is the reason for this piece.
As the violent reprisals grew into armed insurgency and then a well-oiled terror machine, Salkida was caught in the exciting divide and he conveniently played the dual roles of journalist/conflict expert to the outside world and intellectual resource person, mediator and negotiator to the group.
It is apparent that he loved both roles as he grew in stature internationally and probably in means too as he and his family relocated to Dubai where he currently lives. During the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, he as well as Aisha Wakil were involved in a multi-million dollars negotiated settlement with purported Boko Haram sect that was later disclaimed as a ruse.
All this back-grounding is to highlight the fact that Salkida is not a journalist in the strict sense of it. Secondly, circumstances may have thrust upon him events, far above his ken to heave. It is therefore troubling to hear it being said that he owes allegiance to his source as journalism tradition demands.
One begs to differ and basic journalism teaches that fundamental ethics and ethos of the media is to edify humanity, uphold the sanctity of the very society he lives in. A true journalist is a crusader for this noble cause and all noble causes at that. We were taught in journalism school to always uphold justice, truth and the human essence. In other words, and to illustrate, a journalist is most likely to be found on the side of the tenant against a shylock landlord, an employee against a wicked employer, the people against a tyrant government and good against evil.
To boil it down, why then would a journalist worthy of that noble vocation protect a terrorist ‘source’ in the face of a dire national security threat and massive loss of lives of innocent fellow compatriot? It is to suggest that journalism is about the sanctity of the news source or for that matter, that it is an end in itself. In this case, news gathering and reporting is not only for the sole purpose of broadcasting the activities of a deadly terrorist group but for the greater purpose of ending the scourge.
Studying the activities of Salkida, carrying out the simplest content analysis of his articles, there is no doubt where his sympathy lies. He hardly has any word of condemnation for the wanton blood-fest unleashed on his country and countrymen; causing no fewer than 15000 deaths not to mention untold carnage to lives and livelihoods. We speak of a matter of grave national catastrophe here and not infantile journalistic escapades.
If perchance Salkida had an inkling of the location of one IED that went off; if he ever knew the hiding place of the kidnapped Chibok girls and one of those deathly ambushes of the military; if he knew and withheld such information, then what he has done is grand treason not covered by any known journalistic code.
Unschooled and inexperienced, Salkida may well be excused for taking such liberties he did under the guise of journalism practice. Let us blame it on the fact that he may have been caught up by forces beyond his control.
Uche Ogah and Nigeria’s leadership selection process
The recent report in national newspapers relating to a case of grand forgeries against Mr. Uche Ogah is a cause for concern. Going by the sheer magnitude of the case, one would have expected both the security agencies and his party to have pre-empted his very aspiration to contest for the governor of Abia State.
According to court documents in circulation, the allegations are so weighty that in other climes, he would have been barred ab initio from seeking public office. We hope our security agencies would be more diligent in carrying out background checks on political aspirants. This would go a long way in sanitising the polity and our democracy would be better for it.