THE management of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, has lifted the suspension it placed on one of the campus press clubs, Pen Press UDUS, after 16 days.
The decision was confirmed in a post by the Pen Press Udus on its Facebook page on Thursday, August 29, following widespread condemnation of the suspension by Nigerians.
Pen Press was suspended after publishing a report highlighting issues related to the poor drainage system in Zamfara Hostel, one of the university’s female hostels.
The report also detailed the hardships faced by students due to the defective drainage, including health risks and discomfort, citing accounts from different students residing in the hostel.
The hostel is believed to be one of the largest female halls of residence in the university, housing over 500 students.
The hostel, said to be jointly constructed by Zamfara State and the university management and inaugurated in 2016, has reportedly been plagued by poor drainage, particularly affecting the students living in Block A.
In a letter dated August 14 and signed by the administrative secretary of the Student Affairs Division, Mahmud Muhammad Isah, the school management directed that Pen Press cease all activities, including publication and interviews, until further notice.
The school management, in the suspension letter addressed to the editor-in-chief of Pen Press, cited concerns over “factual inaccuracies or misleading information” and “potential harm to the university’s reputation.”
However, in a post on its Facebook page on Thursday, Pen Press stated that the management had lifted the suspension.
“We are thrilled to inform you that the management of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) through the Student Affairs Division has lifted (the) suspension on Pen Press publication and other activities.
“Recall that we informed you in a post on August 21st that our activities have been suspended. From now on, you will be seeing our publications as the matter has been resolved with the management,” the statement read in part.
While no official statement has been released in this regard, the dean of Students’ Affairs, Umaru Aliyu, a professor, in a phone call conversation with The ICIR, confirmed that the suspension had been lifted. “It’s true,” Aliyu said.
What the suspension means to Pen Press?
However, speaking with The ICIR, the editor-in-chief of Pen Press Udus, Abdulrasheed Akere, expressed concern over the possibility of continued censorship by the university management, despite lifting the suspension.
When asked if the press club would continue with its critical reporting, he said, “Not really because some of the management’s statements during the meeting were that we are practising journalism as if we have grown beyond the school or independent media organisation out there.”
According to him, this wasn’t the first time their report would be met with hostility and criticism from the management, adding that the club abandoned reporting about the situation of the school clinic over its past experiences with the management.
The ICIR reports that over the years, there have been efforts to suppress media and the civic space in Nigeria. The 2024 data by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) placed Nigeria as one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists.
By this, Nigeria ranks 112th out of 180 countries where journalists are regularly monitored, attacked and arbitrarily arrested. In 2020, The ICIR reported that 160 journalists were attacked in two years, as the country was ranked 115th out of 180 countries on the Global Press Freedom Index.
Also, The ICIR reported that 63 journalists and three media houses experienced various attacks in 2022.
According to The ICIR findings, at least 39 Nigerian journalists were harassed across the country by state and non-state actors in 2023.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M