By:Babagana Bukar Wakil
The United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression in 1991.
According to the International Federation of Journalists IFJ 95 journalists were killed in 2018 during the course of their work.
The number of deaths is higher than in 2017, but not as high as peaks recorded in previous years when conflicts in Iraq and Syria were raging however, highest number of media deaths recorded were 155 in 2006.
In 2018 the killing of prominent Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi attracted global attention who was murdered last October after going to the Saudi consulate General in Turkey.
That has led to the sparked of a diplomatic crisis between the two countries and a chorus of international condemnation.
Stressing that Afghanistan remains one of the most deadly countries for journalists, with 16 deaths last year.Nine Afghan journalists died in a single incident in the capital, Kabul, after going to the site of a bomb attack to report. Ahmad Shah BBC reporter was also killed in one of the attacks.
Several journalists were threaten, held in Boko Haram affected Northeast Nigeria, Othman Abubakar, a journalist works for Daily Trust News papers in Boko Haram affected Northeast Nigeria found hemself detained in custody untill several days of his discharged.