Security operatives assau!t Mitv journalist in Lagos

Security operatives assault Mitv journalist in Lagos

Habeeb Adejobi, a journalist with Mitv, has been assaulted by security operatives at the Kosofe LGA secretariat in Lagos.

Adejobi says the incident occurred in the presence of Moyosore Ogunlewe, chairman of Kosofe LGA, when he visited the secretariat on March 11 to cover the screening of newly appointed supervisors and special advisers.

Narrating the incident, Adejobi said he went to the council secretariat after receiving a tip about the screening exercise.

“On Wednesday, I received a call from a senior colleague who informed me that an important event was taking place at the Kosofe local government secretariat. The newly appointed supervisors and special advisers were undergoing screening, and he advised that it could make a good story,” he said.

Adejobi said he arrived at the secretariat around 4pm and waited within the premises for the screening session to end so he could interview councillors and the appointees.

According to him, shortly after setting up his camera, a man approached him and asked him to leave the premises, claiming the instruction came from the chairman.

“A few minutes after setting up my camera, a man walked up to me and asked if I was the journalist. I confirmed that I was. He then told me that the chairman had instructed him to ask me to leave the premises,” he said.

Adejobi alleged that the situation escalated after the chairman arrived and asked for his identification card.

“The first thing he asked me was where my identification card was. I discovered I did not have it with me at that moment. Without further discussion, he instructed some people around him to seize my cameras,” he alleged.

He said the confrontation turned violent, claiming he was beaten with a plank, while officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) attached to a “special task force” also joined in the assault.

“Right there, in the presence of the chairman, the same man who had first approached me suddenly began to hit me,” he said.

 

“At first, I was confused. I could not understand what was happening. Then the beating intensified. He struck me with a plank. Almost immediately, officers of the NSCDC attached to a unit they called the ‘Special Task Force’ joined in.”

JOURNALIST TAKEN TO POLICE STATION

Adejobi said he was later taken from the secretariat to Area H police station in Ogudu.

“Eventually, one of the security officials dragged me away and took me to Area H police station. Even there, my ordeal did not immediately end. My phone was seized, and I was brought before the Divisional Police Officer in the presence of the chairman’s chief of staff, Abiola Akinola,” he said.

 

He added that the divisional police officer later intervened and allowed him to leave to seek medical attention.

“Thankfully, the DPO intervened and tried to calm the situation. After some time, I was allowed to leave the station so I could seek medical attention,” he said.

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Adejobi said his camera was damaged during the incident and that he later sought treatment at a clinic due to the injuries he sustained.

OGUNLEWE DENIES ASSAULT CLAIM

 

Ogunlewe, however, denied the allegation, saying no journalist was assaulted at the council secretariat.

In an interview with the Guild newspaper on March 12, the council chairman said the journalist was questioned after he was found within the premises without identification.

 

“We just saw a cameraman in the premises of the local government and he was questioned. I went to him myself and he was questioned. ‘Please, where are you from, where is your ID card?’ and he couldn’t show any ID card for it,” he said.

“Yes, it’s a public domain but it still doesn’t mean that there’s no head here. You must know who is who comes into the compound and what and why they are here.”

The council chairman also questioned the journalist’s identity, claiming he initially identified himself as being from another media organisation.

“At the end of the day, he said he was from Arise TV. The next news I saw was from MITV so he clearly tells you that he was here to come and rewrite a story which is not true,” he said.

Ogunlewe said the matter was resolved at the police station and denied that any assault took place.

“Nobody assaulted any pressman. There was nothing of that sort. I’m still in shock because it was resolved at the police station. I was the one who took him,” he said.

He added that the journalist was taken to Area H police station in Ogudu.

“We took him there ourselves and if you say they attack you why did they attack your camera or your phone? We should ask questions. Everybody knows when they attack a cameraman they always attack their cameras,” he said.

“But there was nothing of that sort. We are peaceful people here.”