The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has commended the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for its aggressive efforts at smoking out criminal elements in Rivers State, which it said led to the release of its member, Priestba Nwokocha.

Chairman of the NUJ Rivers State Council, Stanley Job gave this commendation on Friday, July 28, 2023 when he led a delegation of his members on a Thank You Visit to the State Commissioner of Police, Emeka Nwonyi at the State Police Command Headquarters in Port Harcourt.

“This visit is to say thank you to the command for the roles you played in the release of our colleague, Priestba Nwokocha. We’re here to say Thank you.”

“You kept up the pressure. The pressure from the police forced the kidnappers to let her go. She would have been afraid; a woman among criminal elements, but you came to her rescue.”

Job observed that there has been relative peace across the State due to the aggressive posture of the Police under CP Nwonyi’s watch, noting that communities like Emohua, Ahoada and others are happy with the Police over the onslaught against criminals terrorizing those areas.

“Since your arrival we have had relative peace in the state, places such as Ahoada, Emohua, and others are happy; especially, Ahoada people happy with the CP, that’s my place. There is relative peace in the State and I can say Rivers people needed you at the time you came.”

He urged CP Nwonyi and his officers and men to sustain the heat on organized crime with a view to flushing out criminal elements, who said were undermining the relative peace in the State, calling for greater synergy with the Media, pointing out that given the nature of their job, journalists need protection to do their work.

“We journalists need police protection to do our job. Our colleagues work 24 hours a day depending on the shift they are working and sometimes, they close very late in the night and are exposed to danger; that is why we need constant protection.”

“Please do not relent in the work you and your men are doing. Please I want to urge you to continue what you’re doing to chase away criminals from the State. The NUJ in the State wants to strengthen our relationship with police.”

Responding, the State Commissioner of Police, Nwonyi Emeka expressed his gratitude to the NUJ for the visit, stating that upon the distress call from the NUJ State Secretary, various tactical measures were deployed to ensure the release of the kidnapped journalist.

“Thank you for finding this time to come and rub minds with us. The (NUJ) Secretary called and I said the way kidnappers operate, they will call demanding for ransom, let’s have the number that they would call with.”

“I know how passionate he was from his voice on the phone. I assured him that we’re going to do something. We worked tirelessly to get to her out; we followed up their every move. With the pressure from us, they had no choice than to drop their prey.

He remarked that the Media remains the conscience of society, thus has a major role to play in shaping society, commending journalists in the State for publicity given to the campaign against crime and criminality by the Police since his arrival in the State.

“The Media is the conscience of society and you have a major role to play to make things right. Crime and criminality maybe normal but what do we do to nip it in the bud? I want to appreciate the journalists in Rivers State for their efforts.”

“I want to thank the journalists in the state. Some people may not appreciate some of the efforts of the Media, but some of them (criminals) are already asking for amnesty. They want to lay down their arms. Why? The heat from the Media. I want to use this opportunity to ask the Media not to stop their good works but to continue.”

He called for partnership with the NUJ to drive awareness creation and sensitization, stressing that the public needs to have the right information so that it can support the law enforcement agencies with timely and accurate information, asserting that the State Police Command under his watch was battle ready to stamp out crime in the State.

“I am using this opportunity to say that law enforcement and journalists have to join hands to make Rivers State better. We need information, not so much, some forensic tools, verifiable information and good synergy and some forensic tools.

“I am using this opportunity to tell the members of the public that sharing information with the police is going to help them work better. I can assure you that the Rivers command is on top of the situation.”

“We will give them what they bring; we will give them a run for their money, I mean criminals that enter the State; bumper to bumper, action to action, head to head, and fire for fire. The media publicity has the potency of putting fears in them to know that we are also battle ready.”

The NUJ delegation included the State Secretary and Auditor; Ike Wigodo and Ominini Wokoma, Deputy National President and State Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ); Lilian Ogabu-Okonkwo and Susan Serekara-Nwikhana, Publisher of Kristina Reports; Godswill Jumbo, a Correspondent of the Rivers State Television (RSTV), Nnamdi Olimini, and Stephen Momoh of TVC.

They were received by the State Commissioner of Police, Emeka Nwonyi, alongside the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Operations, Olugbenga Adepoju, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Finance and Administration, Samuel Erale, and Public Relations Officer of the Command, Superintendent Grace Iringe-Koko.

The strategic efforts of the Police led to the release of a kidnapped journalist, Priestba Nwokocha from her captors thus necessitating the interface between the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), which has now served to deepen synergy to amplify the drive to improve security across the State.