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LAGOS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2005:
MRA Condemns Police Brutality of Journalists
Media Rights Agenda (MRA) today condemned
the brutalities meted out to about eleven journalists who went to cover
the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of Nigeria’s ruling People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja on January 4, 2005.
The journalists who went
to cover the PDP meeting were ordered by Mr. Lawrence Alobi, Commissioner
of Police (Operations), to leave the vicinity of the PDP Secretariat. The
arrival of the governor of Anambra State Dr. Chris Ngige and the rousing
ovation he got seemed to have triggered Mr. Alobi’s anger. He ordered his
men to push the journalists away. This led to the extreme brutalities on
the journalists, whose ‘offence’ was that they were carrying out their
duties.
The policemen, supervised
by Mr. Alobi, descended on the journalists hitting them with gun butts,
batons, police boots and horse whips, while Mr.Yekini Jimoh, an Assistant
Inspector General of Police looked on from where he was standing.
Journalists were injured, some had their cameras damaged and others lost
personal valuables including mobile phones.
The Abuja Bureau Chief of The
Punch newspapers, Mr. Yomi Odunuga and a correspondent of Nigerian
Tribune newspapers, Segun Jacob Olatunji were injured as a result.
Other journalists who suffered the police brutalities include Gbenga
Abiodun, a photojournalist with Daily Independent newspapers;
Abayomi Fayese, a photojournalist with The Guardian newspapers,
Kennedy Ebomade of Daily Trust newspapers, Ibrahim Samaila of
The Punch, Francis Ojo of Daily Champion newspapers, and Akin
Orimolade and Sunday Adah, both of TELL magazine. In addition,
Innocent Okafor of ThisDay newspapers, Monday Emoni of The Comet
newspapers, and George Edemevughe of Channels Television had their cameras
damaged.
Segun Olatunji of
Tribune who was severely beaten was rushed to a hospital by his
colleagues as a result of the serious injuries he sustained from the
battery.
MRA condemns these
arbitrary, inhuman and unjustifiable attacks on the journalists especially
under a supposedly democratic government.
MRA reminds the nation’s
security apparatus, especially the Nigerian Police, that the Constitution
places obligations on journalists to uphold the fundamental objectives
contained in it as well as “the responsibility and accountability of the
government to the people”. These are in addition to their duties of
informing, educating and entertaining their readers, most importantly
Nigerians. Journalists cannot carry out these responsibilities if they are
constantly at the receiving end of the brutalities of security agencies.
They must therefore be allowed to freely carry out their professional
responsibilities without harassment.
We call on the Inspector
General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun to investigate the acts of bestiality
of his men and punish those responsible. He should also apologise for the
brutalities, pay the medical expenses of Mr. Olatunji and compensate him
and other journalists for the injuries they suffered and damages to their
equipment.
MRA also calls on the
police authorities to educate their men on the tenets of democracy and the
rule of law with a view to stemming this ugly trend that is rearing its
head in their midst.
For further information, please
contact:
Ayode Longe, Programme Officer
Media Rights Agenda
Tel: 234-1-4936033, 234-1-4936034
Fax: 234-1-4930831
E-mail: pubs@mediarightsagenda.org
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