Former Accountant-General of the Federation (AGoF), Ahmed Idris, has criticised journalists for failing to seek his side of the story before reporting that one of his pets, a Python, allegedly escaped from his residence in Daneji area of Kano State last week.
In a two-minute video clip currently circulating on social media, Idris, who is seen in the video clip having a conversation with a group of journalists, expressed frustration, accusing the journalists of sensationalism and lack of professionalism.
“I doubt if you even spoke to the actual people of Daneji, but you were claiming that people ran away from the area out of fear. Show me who ran away,” he challenged the journalists in the footage. “None of you came to my house to hear my side of the story. You claimed someone told you I wasn’t around, but I want to know who it was that told you that?,” he pointed at one of the reporters.
LEADERSHIP reports that the former AGoF’s denial of the Python escape news report comes in the wake of a recent media report about a python that was said to have escaped from Idris’ home, prompting officials of the Kano Zoological Garden to intervene by storming the private residence and relocate the said phyton alongside a crocodile and a lion cub also found in the premises, to the public zoo.
Idris, who appeared visibly displeased with the development, urged journalists to uphold ethical standards in their reportage. “You should be professional, not sensational. You should have come to me directly, unless you are out for something,” he said.
LEADERSHIP also reports that the Python escape incident had generated a fuss on social media, sparking conversations around private ownership of wild animals in residential areas and public safety.
