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Policemen Brutalise 11 Journalists At
Political Meeting
On 4 January 2005, security men made up of
the regular policemen and members of the anti-riot unit, deployed to
maintain security at the emergency meeting of the National Executive
Council of Nigeria's ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja
brutalized 11 journalists who were at the party's secretariat to cover the
meeting.
The policemen were led by
an Assistant Inspector General of Police, Mr.Yekini Jimoh and the
Commissioner of Police in charge of operations, Mr. Lawrence Alobi.
Journalists were ordered to move away from the precincts of the PDP
Secretariat. They were not allowed to take photographs or notes of those
attending and the events happening. When the governor of Anambra State,
Dr. Chris Ngige, arrived, he received a rousing ovation from people around
and at that moment the policemen, supervised by Mr. Alobi, launched at
attack on the journalists, hitting them with gun butts, batons, police
boots and horse whips while Mr. Jimoh watch from where he was standing
nearby. Some of the journalists were injurerd, while others had their
cameras damaged or lost valuables including their mobile telephones.
The Abuja Bureau Chief of
The Punch newspaper, Yomi Odunuga, and a correspondent of
Nigerian Tribune newspaper, Segun Jacob Olatunji, were wounded as a
result of the attack by the policemen. Other journalists who suffered the
police brutalities include Gbenga Abiodun, a photojournalist with Daily
Independent newspaper; Abayomi Fayese, a photojournalist with The
Guardian newspaper; Kennedy Ebomade of Daily Trust newspapers; Ibrahim
Samaila of The Punch; Francis Ojo of the Daily Champion
newspaper; as well as Akin Osimolade and Sunday Adah, both of TELL
magazine. Innocent Okafor of ThisDay newspaper, Monday Emoni of
The Comet newspaper, and George Edemevughe of Channels Television had
their cameras damaged.
Segun Olatunji of the Nigerian
Tribune who was severely beaten, was rushed to a hospital by his
colleagues as a result of the serious injuries he sustained and
hospitalised.
The police claimed they
acted on the orders of PDP officials who instructed that journalists
should not be allowed to cover the meeting.
The PDP was meeting to
resolve the internal crises rocking the party following conflicts in
Anambra State where a party stalwart, Chief Chris Uba, is seeking to
unseat Governor Chris Ngige through violent means, as well as the
disagreement between its National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh and President
Olusegun Obasanjo.
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