Nigerian journalists are reeling after a spate of brutal killings.
Prominent African journalists killed in the year include the Assistant Editor of Nigeria's The Guardian newspaper, Bayo Ohu; the Managing Editor of a South African Newspaper, City Press, Steve Dlamini, and editors of Somalia radio station, Radio HornAfrik.
In Nigeria six journalists have been murdered recently including Efenji Efenji a former reporter of African Independent Television (AIT) who was stabbed to death in front of his family as a valentines Day event.
His gruesome murder has led to some soul searching.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has said that 136 journalists were imprisoned globally in 2009. Of thaat figure, 25 journalists were imprisoned in sub-Saharan Africa for their work, and nearly 90 percent of these journalists were detained without charges in secret detention facilities.
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The family were in the capital in Abuja at a resort called Cortland Gardens, Karu joining other families to celebrate the St Valentine day. While the Efenji family was still at the Gardens his apparently drunk assailants descended on him with sticks, broken bottles and other weapons, hacking him to death.
A report by the Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) recently identified 2009 as the deadliest year for the media, globally, as 137 journalists were reportedly killed across the globe. The figure, which represents an increase of 26 percent over the 109 killings, in 2008, is the highest ever recorded by IFJ. According to the report, countries like Philippines, Mexico and Somalia are the most dangerous for the media due to a spate of killings in recent months.
Efenji was killed in front of his wife and nine-month old daughter after objecting to a demand from the that she dance with them. Since she was married, it would not have been morally right he said.
He apparently told them that if she was just a girlfriend, he probably would have considered their request for a dance. The gang then broke bottles and started stabbing him while he tried to run for safety.
His elder brother, Agwanyan Efenji said they observed unruly behaviour by customers which they linked to the free beer from a promotion sponsored by some beer breweries.
Eneji disclosed that Efenji got up to dance and he heard his cry.
"As I got to the place, I met over 10 persons using axe, machetes and bottles on Efenji, who on seeing me crawled and grabbed my legs to beg me to save him as he was about to be killed," he said.
Efenji climbed over a barbed wire fence to escape and the attackers made good their escape. Its still not clear what the motive was or why Efenji?
The police say they have arrested suspects, but Efenji's slaying follows the brutal murder , Bayo Ohu, an assistant editor with The Guardian Newspaper, in his home, also in front of his family.
Here too the police appear to have made progress but a number of other journalists mowed down in the past have not had their killers arrested.
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