Crime
Five journalists who were brutalised in Anambra State during the February 23, National Assembly polls while on duty want the Nigeria Police to apologise for their illicit action.
Narrating his experience, Tony Okafor of Punch newspaper, said “during the National Assembly/Presidential elections the police in four trucks molested and falsely IMPRISONED five of us in Agulu near former governor Peter Obi’s house.”
The other journalists, who were victims of police brutality for two hours on the road, are Onu Nwanosike (Nation), Geoffrey Anyanwu, (Sun), David Eleke ( ThisDay) and Vincent Ujumadu(Vanguard).
“We were subjected to psychological torture and trauma. Our car key was forcefully taken away from us by the policemen thus keeping us stranded, demobilised and marooned for over two hours. Calls where made to a deputy commissioner of police and other senior police officers who we believed must have caused the policemen to return our car key two hours later.
“It is unfortunate that up until now, the Anambra State Police Command has not deemed it right, necessary and proper to apologise for this repugnant behaviour of its officers on harmless journalists.
“These officers who deliberately demonstrated unprofessional conduct and overzealousness with impunity are today drinking beer, getting ready to do more tomorrow, ” Okafor said.
According to him, “the press is a critical stakeholder in election process and monitoring; yet we were humiliated in the course of our job, even when we appropriately identified ourselves to our assailants. They saw our INEC tags; yet we were reduced . This is a clear case of human right abuse.”
– Dec. 15, 2019 @ 13:35 GMT |
Tags: How Police brutalised 5 Journalists in Anambra
