The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) says it is working assiduously to ensure freedom and justice for detained journalists.

The chairman of NUJ in Lagos State NUJ, Adeleye Ajayi, said this on the sidelines of the seventh Safety and Security Watch Symposium on Wednesday in Lagos.

The symposium was held in commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.

The theme for this year’s celebration is: “Protecting Media to Protect Democracy.”

Mr Ajayi decried the government’s inability to unravel or convict perpetrators of past killings of journalists, stressing that it was time for the government to take drastic measures to end impunity against journalists.

He noted that three journalists were in jail in Lagos, adding that the union had intensified efforts through engagement with relevant stakeholders to ensure their quick release.

Mr Ajayi stressed that the union would no longer tolerate violence against its members, adding that continuous awareness against vices, killings and attacks against journalists had been intensified.

The NUJ leader noted that journalists are the conscience of the society, monitoring the government’s actions and are critical to the sustenance of democracy.

Besides, panellists at the symposium called for training and retraining of journalists to grow their capacity and equip them with knowledge of physical safety measures and trauma management.

They also called for adequate remuneration for all categories of journalists and prompt payment of salaries by media owners to safeguard practitioners from engaging in unwholesome activities for survival.

The panellists called on the public and all tiers of government to respect the media as people who were doing hazardous jobs to perform their constitutional responsibility.

(NAN)