EndBadGovernance Protest: IPC Condemns Attack on Journalists, Cameramen
From BAMIDELE DUROJAIYE, Ibadan
The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos , has condemned in totality the assault on News Central reporters and camera men by thugs at Freedom Park, Ojota while reporting the protests on Tuesday, as the EndBadGovernance protests entered the seventh day.
Information gathered by IPC’s journalists’ safety alert situation room revealed that there were a handful of police men nearby but they did not lift a finger to stop them when the thugs arrived and assaulted the press crew.
Press Freedom Officer, IPC, Melody Akinjiyan, in a statement, said: “The thugs who were more than 10, attacked the crew of News Central Television, who went to the venue to monitor the situation.
“When the News Central crew arrived, police directed them to leave the park. They relocated to a distant location to continue their live broadcast. During the broadcast, the journalists were confronted by the hoodlums wielding sticks and shovels. The thugs assaulted several reporters and forced them to flee, Daily Report published.
The Press Freedom Officer, IPC, said this incident and many others recorded since the nationwide protests started, raises concerns about press freedom and safety of journalists during protests and coverage of societal events.
Report published on Pulse.ng stated that, “the Commissioner of Police @LagosPoliceNG, CP Adegoke Fayoade, has ordered an immediate investigation into this incident.
He mandated the investigating team to fish out the miscreants and ensure their prosecution accordingly.
The CP gave this directive yesterday when the crew involved, led by News Central MD, @KayodeAkintemi, submitted an official complaint letter at the Command Headquarters, Ikeja.”
The IPC is, therefore, again, calling on the security agencies, in particular the Commissioner of Police of Lagos State, to fulfill his pledge to go after the thugs who assaulted the journalists and interrogate the policemen who looked the other way while journalists were being attacked.