I was drawn to a short piece by one Mallam Ibrahim Siraj of the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano, about WikkiTimes investigations into Sheikh Bala Lau. Initially, I had no intention of responding further to any commentary on this matter unless Bala Lau accepted my challenge to engage. I also hate joining issues with my teachers, particularly in public. In fact, this is the first time I will be responding to my teacher in public, and I hope it will be the last. I prefer to engage my teachers privately and constructively. Many of them have reached out to me several times. I clarified some of their questions and concerns, and many of them have repeatedly advised me on several things. I have been thinking deeply about whether I needed even to respond. But after giving it some thought, and since Mallam personally demanded that I respond to him in public, I am giving him that courtesy.
By Haruna Mohammed
Another reason I felt compelled to respond was the dangerous precedent he is setting by publicly tagging our editor in his post—an act that exposes him to real danger.
Mallam knows the risks journalists face in Nigeria, especially those engaged in accountability reporting. If anything happens to our editor, Mallam will bear many responsibilities. You can’t expose a journalist in public, particularly when that tends to expose them to danger and get away with it when something happens to them.
To begin with, Mallam needs to be reminded that investigative journalism exists to hold the powerful accountable, regardless of their title or status. Mallam Siraj may wish to remember a time-honoured maxim in our profession: the duty of journalists is to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable,” meaning we expose the faults of the rich and powerful while giving voice to the powerless.
This watchdog principle compels us to expose wrongdoing wherever it lurks. Many journalism scholars argue that journalism’s watchdog role “extends to all the powerful institutions in society… watching over the powerful few on behalf of the many to guard against tyranny.”
No individual or institution—whether political, corporate, or religious—should be beyond scrutiny. Investigative reporting is not a malicious “hatchet job” but a public service essential to society’s survival.
Those who wield influence often bristle when journalists rattle their pedestal. Mallam can accuse WikkiTimes or its reporters of bias or hidden agendas. These reflexive accusations are as old as muckraking, and he completely misses the point. But Mallam needs to remember that journalism’s first loyalty is to the public interest, not to any patron, including a religious cleric. It’s worth recalling the adage (often attributed to George Orwell, if my memory serves me right) that “Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed; everything else is public relations.” By that standard, WikkiTimes’ reporting on Sheikh Bala Lau was journalism in the purest sense. It revealed information that certain people preferred to keep hidden. The only “interest” served is that of an informed public. We make no apologies for pursuing the truth even if Mallam considers it “a no-go area.”
Mallam asked: “Why Sheikh Bala Lau?” Mallam is insinuating that since Bala Lau is a revered religious figure and not an elected official, investigating him crosses into a “no-go area” and could invite ridicule of Islam. Really? What a very cheap argument! So, Mallam would point out to his students that in their practice of accountability journalism, they should cherry-pick whom to hold to account and consider others as a group of “untouchables” because they are “revered”? This argument is profoundly misguided, cheap and weak in every material particular. Power and influence do not derive only from public office. Except if Mallam wants to pretend, Mallam knows very well that religious leaders command enormous social and financial capital in Nigeria.
Clerics manage donations, schools, and charitable funds and wield influence over politicians and followers alike. I know this because I know them. I have worked with many of them. Many of them call me by name whenever they see me. I need to remind Mallam that I know what is happening because I am close to some of them and am privy to their modus operandi. Should journalists look the other way if such figures are alleged to have abused funds or trust? Absolutely, not. Corruption is corruption, whether committed by a government minister or a cleric. To suggest that a preacher’s collar or turban should exempt them from accountability is to create a class of untouchables – a “sacred cow” that journalists must never question. This is a very dangerous precedent. If this suggestion comes from a journalism “scholar”, it would be the greatest disservice to our profession. Our willingness to hold every powerful person to the same standard protects society from abuse.
I understand the sensitivity around religious institutions. But scrutinising a spiritual leader’s actions is not an attack on a faith. In fact, many faithful would agree that integrity and honesty are paramount virtues Islam has advocated since the time of the Prophet. When Journalism exposes dishonesty, it ultimately serves those values rather than undermining them. The aim is not to “cast spiritual leaders in a negative light” or invite ridicule from other faiths, as Mallam insinuates. The aim is to hold everyone to the same standard.
Wrongdoing exposed by facts should only shame the perpetrators, not an entire religion or community. Ignoring evidence of misconduct for fear of offending sensibilities would be a betrayal of our journalistic oath. It would also do a disservice to the faithful, who deserve transparency from those who lead them.
Throughout our reporting history as a platform, WikkiTimes has never suggested that Muslim leaders are uniquely venal as Mallam cheaply argues. If you had done your research very well, you would have known that Bala Lau is not the first religious cleric WikkiTimes had exposed. Asking why Bala Lau shows that you have not done your homework to dig deeply into the history of our reporting.
Our reporting is not driven by religious bias. We operate on a simple principle: “no sacred cows.” If evidence emerges of a Christian pastor or any other leader misusing public funds tomorrow, WikkiTimes will investigate them with the same vigour. Our records bear this out. Our focus on Sheikh Bala Lau did not occur in a vacuum; it followed the trail of evidence, just as our many other investigations have done.
We are not “unfairly targeting” Sheikh Bala Lau. WikkiTimes has a proven track record of high-impact investigations involving many powerful figures and institutions. To dispel any notion that we singled out Bala Lau, consider a few of our major exposés in recent years: here, here, here, here, here, and here. These are just a few examples I have hyperlinked for your attention.
These examples are just a sample. In fact, between January and December 2022 alone, WikkiTimes published 36 investigative stories exposing graft and abuse of power across Nigeria. Our reporters have exposed federal agencies that violate procurement laws, state ministries that divert funds meant for orphans, local governments that abandon projects, and more. Each time, we followed the evidence without fear or favour.
The common thread in all these stories is that WikkiTimes has applied the same journalistic rigour and courage, irrespective of the personality involved. Sheikh Bala Lau’s case is no different. He happens to be a religious leader, but in our eyes, he is also an influential public figure who warrants oversight.
The “scholar” asked, Why bother about a ‘paltry few hundred million’ tied to Bala Lau when bigger thefts abound? My answer: We will not tell Nigerians suffering from poor schools or missing funds that their loss is too small to matter. Moreover, as shown above, we do pursue the billion-naira scandals too – the allegation is not that we ignored the elephants, but instead that we also reported on a camel. Yes, we did, because the camel also carries the weight of public interest. Whoever could siphon a few million will do away with billions tomorrow when the opportunity to do so presents itself.
As I mentioned earlier, the mission of journalism is to serve the public with truth, not to serve as a PR agency for any faith or institution. If unpleasant facts cause embarrassment, the fault lies in the conduct revealed, not in the act of revealing it. Our job is to hold up a mirror to power – even if some don’t like the reflection. Expecting the press to withhold a truthful report to “protect” the image of a religious group is asking us to abandon our duty. It would be as if saying certain truths should be suppressed to prevent discomfort. That is not journalism; that is propaganda.
Twisting this into a sectarian issue is, consciously or not, using a smokescreen. The same defensive logic was used in the past to shield other powerful wrongdoers (“don’t report on this official, it will tarnish their image; don’t investigate this because they are ‘revered’, it will hurt the religion). This special pleading coming from a journalism teacher is appalling. We reject it. No community is strengthened by sweeping dirt under the carpet. On the contrary, by addressing corruption frankly, a community can uphold its true values of justice and probity.
Mallam’s insinuation that WikkiTimes doesn’t investigate Christian or other leaders is also untrue. As an imam, I thought Mallam would dig deep before making such claims. I have hyperlinked one example here for Mallam to read. It was published a long time ago, even before our investigation on Bala Lau. We have taken on politicians across religious divides – from a Christian ex-Speaker to Muslim governors – and we remain ready to investigate anyone if evidence emerges. The focus is on ethical governance and accountability, not on one religion vs another. Reducing our reportage to an ethno-religious narrative is a disservice to the facts, to journalism, to society and our readers. The truth knows no tribe or creed.
Demanding that religious figures be shielded from scrutiny is not only dangerous, it is a betrayal of the very ethics that journalism (and indeed religion itself) holds dear. Most faiths teach honesty and accountability; journalism’s ethics mirror these by insisting on truth and fairness.
When a media outlet starts granting immunity to a select class of people (be they clerics, generals, or billionaires), it abdicates its responsibility to society. It tells the public that some elites are above the law and beyond question. This would foster a culture of impunity where wrongdoing flourishes in the shadows, precisely because those shadows are never illuminated. Is that the precedent Mallam is teaching his students to set? That a man preaching from the pulpit can never be questioned, even about secular matters like finances or public contracts? Such a notion is antithetical to Islam and accountability. No citizen, high or low, should be beyond legitimate questions when evidence of possible misconduct arises.
Mallam wants us to carve out exceptions – this or that powerful person off-limits due to their position or connections. Really? Unfortunately, WikkiTimes will never do that. Sorry for disappointing you, Sir. Our journalism will never tiptoe around anyone because they are religious leaders. That is a recipe for abuse. Indeed, corruption loves the cloak of untouchability. We refuse to grant that cloak to anyone, including Bala Lau.
At first, I was shocked to read that the loudest condemnation of our reporting is coming from a journalism “scholar.” But I must acknowledge that it did not come to me by surprise since Mallam himself is an Imam. My only disappointment is that Mallam is also a constituent member of the journalism profession that is supposed to have a commensurate understanding of the founding philosophies and values that define journalism.
One of the most glaring failures of journalism education in Nigeria is the staggering lack of exposure among those who teach it. Many academics rarely travel, have no visible presence in international scholarship, and have no digital footprint of scholarship in reputable journalism publications. Outside the gates of their universities, they are virtually nonexistent.
Sadly, this intellectual insularity trickles down into how journalism education is taught. It’s no surprise that students are warned away from specific subjects, even when those subjects involve individuals deeply implicated in the corruption that undermines our society. This is shocking, deeply baffling, and explains some flawed philosophical and moral grasp of what journalism is meant to be.
Mallam Siraj needs some reorientation about what journalism truly stands for. Wallahi, and with respect, I have never imagined a journalism “scholar” would think like this and make this kind of opinion in public. Desperately concluding that there are “no-go areas” for journalists just because the subjects they are investigating are “revered” religious leaders.
WikkiTimes stands proudly by its report on Sheikh Bala Lau. I can assure Mallam that we will continue to defend the principle that truth must be told about the mighty, just as it is about the meek. Our public interest journalism is not a vendetta; it is a necessity. You asked pointedly, “WikkiTimes, why Bala Lau?” My answer: because the facts warranted it, and no one is above accountability.
Far from harming religion, our journalism strengthens it. It deters would-be office abusers, reassures citizens that someone is watching out for them, in the hope that it will trigger reforms. Yes, it may ruffle feathers and step on ‘revered’ toes—that is by design.
To scrutinise a religious leader is not blasphemy as is being wrongly insinuated; it is accountability. To demand special immunity for such a leader would be blasphemous to the ideals of justice and truth. Sorry for disappointing you, Mallam; WikkiTimes sunlight may be uncomfortable to those used to darkness, but it remains the best disinfectant. We are proud of taking that light and pointing it exactly where it needed to shine. This is what our investigative journalism looks like, and I WILL NEVER BE APOLOGETIC ABOUT IT.
Haruna Mohammed Salisu is the founder and Publisher of WikkiTimes and can be reached via harunababale@wikkitimec.com
