CGC Adeniyi and the Phantom Exclusive of Sahara Reporters By Abdulsalam Mahmud
By Abdulsalam Mahmud
Acquainted with its notorious antics, it is natural and incumbent upon us all to react objectively each time Sahara Reporters, the United States-based newspaper owned by prominent Nigerian human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, publishes what resembles falsehood.
When there are no objective analyses of events, issues, and developments by experts and dispassionate commentators, the job of rumour peddlers and merchants of fake news, which is to hoodwink the general public, becomes much easier.
In the early hours of yesterday, Sunday, June 9, 2024, I came across a ‘story’ by Sahara Reporters alleging that Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi falsified his age to remain in service. In rushing to publish the story, perhaps to summarily indict Adeniyi, Sahara Reporters threw objectivity, accuracy, truth, balance, and all other basic tenets of journalism to the wind.
Firstly, the US-based newspaper hastily concluded that the Customs chief indeed altered his age, failing to support its ‘exclusive report’ with credible documents to convince readers.
The Sahara Reporters story, titled “EXCLUSIVE: Nigeria Customs Boss, Adewale Adeniyi In Age Falsification Scandal As Documents Reveal He Has Spent 43 Years In Public Service,” can best be described as junk news for many reasons.
The first red flag was the ‘accompanying image’ used to illustrate the alleged age falsification by Adeniyi. Common sense dictates that a fitting picture should illustrate such a ‘reported scandal,’ but Sahara Reporters did not follow this standard.
Instead, what appeared to be a plain paper with indiscernible, blurry writings was used to ‘convince’ readers. Furthermore, the opening two paragraphs of the story claimed that official documents were sighted proving Adeniyi’s ‘culpability.’
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Unfortunately, the ‘authoritative’ Sahara Reporters did not provide screenshots of the ‘official documents’ it claimed to have obtained. Like a drunkard utterly ‘intoxicated’ and confused, Sahara Reporters shamelessly contradicted itself in two paragraphs of its ‘exclusive story.’
In one part, it stated, “However, his age falsification has enabled him to remain in service beyond 60 years of age,” while in another, it claimed, “As if that was not enough, the documents also revealed that Adeniyi altered his years of service to remain in customs service.”
Regrettably, no tangible evidence was presented by Sahara Reporters to substantiate these claims. Neither the document showing age alteration nor the service period extension by the Customs boss was attached to the story.
The Sahara Reporters editorial board also attempted to portray their tabloid as a stickler for balance by reaching out to the Customs spokesperson, CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, and Adeniyi himself for their reactions.
However, Sahara Reporters failed to acknowledge that the Customs Chief had already offered clarifications on his birth record and other credentials the previous Monday in an exclusive chat with Daily Trust, asserting he had nothing to hide.
But his ‘detractors’ won’t believe him, as they are engaged in a calumny campaign. Is it to distract the Customs boss and derail his astute leadership of a reinvented Nigeria Customs? Whatever their goal, CGC Adeniyi appears unperturbed and rightly so.
He has vowed to remain focused on delivering his mandate, like a fearless warrior and unyielding force of progress. I urge him not to buckle or cave in to these perceived adversaries. Teeming and well-meaning citizens are rooting for him to succeed remarkably in changing the narrative of the Customs, as he has started doing.
Adeniyi should be assured of their prayers, while not forgetting that every rational commentator will stand against the sinister plots to smear his name and that of other high-flying public servants.
Not only in this circumstance involving Adeniyi but at all times, truth should be unmasked and proudly flaunted in a manner that will make it triumph over falsehood, particularly the baseless exclusives of Sahara Reporters.
Mahmud, a public affairs commentator and advocate of social justice, can be reached at: [email protected].
