From dx-adm-owner@nic.funet.fi Tue Aug 2 22:56:09 1994 Return-Path: dx-adm-owner@nic.funet.fi Received: from nic.funet.fi (nic.funet.fi [128.214.248.6]) by cs.tut.fi (8.6.9/8.6.4) with ESMTP id WAA20204 for ; Tue, 2 Aug 1994 22:56:08 +0300 Received: from voa3.VOA.GOV ([152.75.16.3]) by nic.funet.fi with SMTP id <91169-3>; Tue, 2 Aug 1994 22:53:37 +0300 Received: from voa6.VOA.GOV by voa3.VOA.GOV (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA10707; Tue, 2 Aug 94 15:53:15 EDT Message-Id: <9408021953.AA10707@voa3.VOA.GOV> Date: Tue, 2 Aug 1994 18:43:10 +0300 From: jfouts@usia.gov Subject: VOA JRNLST ATTACKED IN NIGERIA To: voa-info@bops.VOA.GOV Status: RO ******************************************************* Return-path: Received: From voa3.VOA.GOV(152.75.16.3) by voa6(152.75.16.6) With TCP ; 2 Aug 94 15:37:30 Received: from usia.gov ([198.67.64.2]) by voa3.VOA.GOV (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA10159; Tue, 2 Aug 94 15:37:18 EDT Received: from NetWare MHS (SMF70) by usia.gov via XGATE 3.01.b16C MHS to SMTP Gateway; Tue, 2 Aug 94 15:37:56 -0500 Message-Id: <048C3E2E01E3D2D1@usia.gov> In-Reply-To: <048C3E2E02E3D2D1> Date: Tue, 2 Aug 94 14:53:56 -0500 Sender: "Fouts, Joshua" Organization: USIA X-Mailer: XGATE 3.01.b16C MHS to SMTP Gateway XNS-Gateway-ID: <048C3E2E01E3D2D1@usia.gov.320258FE.3CC> ******************************************************* VOA JOURNALIST ATTACKED IN NIGERIA WASHINGTON, August 1, 1994 -- Voice of America Hausa service journalist Shehu Kura was beaten late last week by government security forces as he covered a demonstration in the new Nigerian capital of Abuja. For the past month, Kura has been reporting from Nigeria on the country's Constitutional Conference and on alleged corruption among its delegates. In recent weeks, officials of the Nigerian government's Secret Security Service unsuccessfully attempted to bribe Kura to cease his reporting. Conference delegates publicly denounced Kura at the conference and repeatedly threatened to withdraw his press credentials. Although Constitutional Conference officials told Kura they could no longer guarantee his safety, he remained in Abuja to continue reporting. "All of us at the Voice of America and those around the world who firmly believe in a free press deeply deplore this attack on VOA's journalist Shehu Kura as he was covering this story," said Geoffrey Cowan, Director of the Voice of America. "I commend Shehu and other journalists who continue to report the truth, even under difficult and life-threatening circumstances." VOA correspondent Purnell Murdoch is also in Abuja covering the trial of M.K.O. Abiola, who is widely believed to have won Nigeria's June 1993 presidential election. Abiola was arrested and charged with treason after proclaiming himself president. As a demonstration of Abiola supporters formed outside the courtroom in Abuja, Kura and a group of other journalists continued to report on the rising commotion. Mounted police first charged the demonstrators, beating them with whips and batons, and then turned on the journalists, including VOA's Kura, who were also beaten and trampled. VOA has broadcast Murdoch's in-depth coverage of the trial, as well as a report from Kura, who kept his tape recorder on throughout the police attack on the journalists. Kura is recuperating from his injuries, and Murdoch continues to report from West Africa. The Voice of America is the international radio service of the U.S Information Agency, broadcasting almost 1,000 hours a week in 46 languages to approximately 92 million listeners. This estimate does not include listeners who tune in VOA programs rebroadcast by approximately 1,000 affiliate radio stations around the world, which greatly expand VOA's listening audience. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, please contact: Michelle Brescia VOA External Affairs Tel: +1-202-619-1232 Internet: PUBAFF@VOA.GOV