A journalist identified as Habeeb Adejobi has said he was attacked and assaulted by individuals alleged to be loyalists of Moyosore Ogunlewe, the chairman of Kosofe Local Government in Lagos State.
Adejobi, who works with MITV, said the incident occurred on Wednesday when he visited the council secretariat to cover the screening of supervisors and special advisers appointed by the council.
He explained that he arrived at the secretariat around 4 p.m. and attempted to reach the council chairman and the information officer to formally notify them of his presence, but both were unreachable.
According to him, he also contacted a councillor, who informed him that the council was still in session conducting the screening exercise. He waited for a while before setting up his camera within the premises.
“A man approached me and asked if I was the journalist, and on confirming my identity, he told me that the chairman had directed that I should leave the premises.
“I explained that I had already sent a message to the chairman informing him of my presence, but the chairman, on coming out, asked for my identification card. I wasn’t with it at the moment; next, he ordered that my cameras should be seized.”
He further alleged that after the equipment was taken from him, officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and members of a special task force attached to the chairman descended on him, punching and beating him.
The journalist said he was subsequently taken to the Area H Police Command, where his phone was also seized.
Responding to the allegation, the management of Kosofe Local Government, in a statement signed by the Head of Public Affairs, Hamzat Olaide, denied the allegations, stating that the Ogunlewe-led administration did not authorize any form of attack on the journalist or any other individual.
The council underlined that the administration continues to place a high importance on journalists’ safety, dignity, and professional freedom.
“The Executive Chairman is a law-abiding public servant who holds the media in high regard. He has taken the allegation with utmost concern, particularly considering his longstanding cordial relationship with members of the press,” the statement reads.
The council promised the public that appropriate measures will be taken to ascertain the truth and ensure justice if necessary while the circumstances surrounding the alleged occurrence are being reviewed.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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