By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: The Federal Capital Territory FCT Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ has condemned in strong terms the unlawful arrest and assault of an Agence France-Presse AFP journalist, Mr. John Okunyomih, by security operatives during Monday’s #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, the Secretary of the Council, Comrade Jide Oyekunle, described the arrest and harassment of the journalist as “a gross violation of press freedom and an affront to democratic principles.”
Vanguard gathered that a car belonging to another journalist with Business Day newspaper, Tony Ailemen was damaged when a policeman directly Aimee at his car and fired a teargas canister.
“They destroyed the back shield of my car. They actually fired teargas directly at my car”, he said in a massage posted to the official NUJ platform.
On his part, Okunyomih was reportedly manhandled by armed soldiers and policemen who were deployed to disperse protesters demanding the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.
The security agents also damaged his professional camera and other equipment while he was covering the protest near the Unity Fountain.
The statement demanded an immediate investigation into the incident, calling on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Dantawaye Miller to identify and sanction the officers responsible for the assault.
“The harassment of journalists performing their legitimate duty is unacceptable. Security agents must be reminded that journalists are not enemies of the state but partners in nation-building,” The Statement said.
The Council further urged the authorities to replace the journalist’s damaged camera and other work tools, stressing that such compensation would serve as a deterrent against future attacks on media professionals.
The NUJ FCT Council also reiterated its call on security agencies to respect the rights of journalists to freely cover public events without intimidation, in line with constitutional guarantees and international press freedom standards.
“ While we acknowledge that he has been released we hereby demand that his camera and other gadgets that were damaged by the gun toting armed policemen be replaced with immediate effect.
“We therefore call on the Inspector General of Police to call his officers to order and be civil in dealing with journalists performing their statutory duty”, the statement added.
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