The executive secretary of the Nigerian Press Council (NPC), Dili Ezughah, has commended the State Security Service for the recent release of two journalists who were wrongfully detained in Jos, Plateau.

Mr Ezughah, in a statement issued by the director of research and documentation of the council, Dan Ede, on Monday in Abuja, appreciated the paradigm shift in the relationship between the press and the service.

“The recent release of two journalists who were wrongfully detained in Jos, Plateau, was indeed a positive turning point in the press/security relationship in the country. It was delightful to witness such.

“I was touched by the uncommon show of understanding and humility by the director-general of the SSS, Mr Oluwatosin Ajayi. He personally reached out to the president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Alhassan Yahaya, with apologies over the unwarranted detention.

“I observed that the new path of collaboration and mutual respect the SSS is charting in dealing with the Fourth Estate of the Realm promises a boost for national cohesion and development,” Mr Ezughah said.

He urged the press to reciprocate the gesture of the security architecture by complying with the Code of Ethics for Nigerian journalists.

Mr Ezughah assured that the NPC, as the sole government agency responsible for promoting high professional standards and ensuring ethical compliance in the Nigerian press, would continue to ensure that journalists abide by the ethics of the profession.

(NAN)