Female Reporter Assaulted by Aide to Governorship Candidate

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On November 4, 2022, a female reporter with The Guardian newspapers, Ms Kehinde Olatunji, was assaulted by Theophilus Akorede, an aide to the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Mr. Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor. Theophilu forcefully bundled her from Jandour’s campaign office because she had sat on Mr. Adediran’s seat.

Ms Olatunji had honoured an invitation by Lagos State PDP publicity secretary and Chairman Media and Publicity Committee of JandorFunke 2023 Campaign Council, Hakeem Amode, for Jandor’s meeting with Igbo market leaders in Amuwo Odofin.

The reporter arrived at Jandor’s campaign office in Ikeja at 8.00am and being the first person to get there, she took an available seat within the premises to wait for other newsmen and organisers of the programme to come.

However, a man in the premises asked her to vacate the seat that she was not supposed to sit there. When she asked why, he replied that it was Jandour’s seat. The man then directed her to where she could sit and she obliged.

Later on, the man again asked the reporter to find another seat, saying he wanted to leave the area, and without question, the reporter obliged again and even asked him where she could sit so, she could also charge her phone. She was directed to another part of the premises to where she again relocated.

After the reporter had settled down, Theophilus approached her and said, “I heard you sat on Oga’s seat, next time you come here and try such, I will bundle you into the gutter. Look at me very well.”

Surprised, she asked him if he woke up from the gutter that morning. Theophilus got angry for being asked the question and talked to in such a manner. The aide forcefully bundled the reporter from her seat and was taking her out of the premises, making good his threat when a journalist entered and forced him to drop her.

As a result of the encounter, Ms Olatunji had to go to the hospital to treat herself.