The Chairman, Association of Online Media Practitioners of Nigeria, AMPON has expressed his displeasure over the way and matter with which some media houses publish stories without proper investigations.
He voiced out his frustrations when a national newspaper published what he described as falsehood on Mahmood Ahmadu, one of those being investigated over the immigration recruitment that led to loss of lives in the past administration.
Arisekola said, “Contrary to what was published in the said newspaper, Mahmond is not wanted and is not on the wanted list of Interpol and the Metropolitan Police Mahmood Ahmadu”.
He went on to say, “Findings by The Street Journal indicated that at no time has the Interpol declared Ahmadu wanted or invited him for interrogation of any kind contrary to reports that he was being sought to answer questions regarding immigration job tragedy”.
Continuing, the AMPON Chairman said, “The national daily which reported sometime in February this year that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had contacted Interpol for the arrest and deportation of Ahmadu, who was said to have colluded with Moro to defraud job seekers millions of naira published their report without proper investigation”.
Investigations by The Street Journal have showed that the story may have been cooked and dished to the Nigerian public to rubbish Ahmadu’s character. In course of investigation, it was found out that Ahmadu freely moves about and is ready to defend himself of any complicity in the immigration scam as being investigated.
Findings have revealed that the firm of Mahmood Ahmadu was a mere consultant to Ministry of Interior when Abba Moro was minister and he was contacted to help in the recruitment exercise without taking any direct part in the collection of money from applicants.
“As it would be recalled, the applicants paid N1000 each through an e-payment platform for their online recruitment exercise into the NIS, there was therefore no way through which Mahmood Ahmadu would been involved in handling money. His job at that time was to offer consultancy services in the best way through which the exercise would sail through without hitches”, Arisekola said.
He said it has come to him as a big embarrassment that some spheres of the Nigerian media would go ahead to publish falsehood and he would like this to be corrected. He urged members to always publish the truth as it stands. He said he has spoken with the man, Mahmood Ahmadu himself and he knows the truth”. He concluded by saying that he and members shall continue to go after the truth and present them to the public fresh and undiluted.
