The management of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has sacked Bridget Kyado, one of the agency’s correspondents in Makurdi, over a fake report published on December 28, 2018.
Kyado, 34, was said to have filed a report titled, “Akume, a great asset to Benue – Ortom”, in which she claimed to have witnessed a birthday party of Senator George Akume, attended by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
After investigation, NAN found out that the entire news story was fabricated by the reporter, who joined the organization in 2010.
According to NAN, Akume was actually in Uyo on December 28, to attend the flag-off of the presidential campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Bayo Onanuga, Managing Director of the agency, condemned the act, describing false reporting and attribution as a capital offence in the journalism profession.
“Truth and integrity matter in our business of reporting. Fiction has no place here. Most important, the reputation of the 40-year-old agency is at stake.
“We have a duty to continue to sustain the integrity of the News Agency of Nigeria,” Onanuga said.
The sacked reporter, 34, read Mass Communication at Benue State University, graduating in 2008.
The agency also urged all its subscribers to subsequently disregard and delete the story for their platform.
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