Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa has said that she was almost raped while engaging in investigative journalism.
Speaking after receiving an award at the maiden edition of the National Freedom of Information (FOI) Awards organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) and Media Rights Agenda (MRA), in Abuja, Abike encouraged journalists in Nigeria to undertake investigative journalism in spite of the risk associated with it.
Dabiri recalled how the timely intervention of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former chief security officer to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, saved her from being raped after she was arrested and locked up in a military facility in Apapa area of Lagos State.
The former lawmaker who worked for the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) for 15 years, anchoring the weekly NTA News line programme, said:
“Dare to venture, dare to succeed. I was arrested at a point I was doing investigative journalism, locked up in Apapa in one of the military facilities there. What saved me from being raped was Major Al-Mustapha who happened to come in at that point. So, you cannot afford to be afraid.”
