Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, Julius Bokoru, has questioned the pattern and sourcing of reports concerning allegations linking his principal to an alleged coup plot.
In a statement issued yesterday, Bokoru said some coverage of the matter, appeared to have repeatedly presented the allegations in ways that could shape public perception before the claims were established through due process.
Bokoru said he had been unable to establish contact with Sylva since the controversy emerged, but stressed that his comments were not intended to undermine investigative journalism.
He acknowledged the media’s important role in holding governments, institutions and public officials accountable, while urging journalists and media organisations to scrutinise the sources, timing and methods behind information provided to them.
“What we are witnessing from some media organisations, especially Premium Times, has gone beyond ordinary reporting,” he said, adding that reports had been “serialised, repackaged and amplified” in a manner that appeared to reinforce a particular narrative.
Bokoru questioned the origin of materials reportedly forming the basis of some reports and asked why sensitive investigative documents were allegedly appearing in instalments.
He, however, clarified that he was not alleging that any media organisation was sponsored by an individual or organisation, noting that he had no evidence to support such a claim.
According to him, the central issue was the need to distinguish between allegations contained in investigative materials and facts established through legal proceedings.
“There is also a fundamental distinction that should never be blurred: an allegation is not evidence; an investigator’s theory is not a conviction; and a statement contained in an investigative file is not a judicial finding of guilt,” he said.
Bokoru urged authorities with evidence against Sylva, if any, to present such evidence through the appropriate legal channels, while calling on media organisations to clearly identify allegations as allegations.
He also expressed concern that repeated publication of untested claims could result in the matter being decided in the court of public opinion rather than through formal proceedings.
Bokoru called for media independence and responsible reporting, saying journalists should scrutinise information regardless of the identity or influence of their sources.
“If the evidence is solid, publish it. If it is an allegation, call it an allegation. If it is a leaked narrative, tell the public that it is a leaked narrative,” he said.
He added that repeated publication of an allegation should not be treated as proof, urging the media to pursue the truth while maintaining editorial independence.
“Nigeria deserves a fearless press. But a fearless press must also be an independent press,” Bokoru said.