The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State has asked the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to investigate the alleged brutal assault meted out to Bunmi Adigun, an Ogun-based journalist, by security personnel attached to Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State.
OsunDailyNG gathered that Adigun, the Secretary of the Ogun Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, and a journalist with the State-owned Ogun State Television, OGTV, with his cameraman, was brutalised on Friday by Adeleke’s security aides at Joga-Orile in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
It was also gathered that the Abepa of Joga-Orile, Oba Adeyemi Adekeye, was conferring the chieftaincy title of Baba Oba on Adeleke as part of his 66th birthday celebration when the incident happened.
Sympathising with the victims, the Osun APC in a statement by its Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, described the action of the security aides as overzealous and unruly.
Lawal, in the statement issued by Kola Olabisi, the Osun APC spokesperson, also accused the security aides of conductting themselves in a manner which cast doubt on their professionalism.
“The attack on the journalists by the Adeleke security operatives was sadistic and wicked which should be condemned by all the right-thinking members of the society.
“Governor Adeleke has been attracting negative media reportage to the State of Virtues which hitherto was known for her Omoluabi ethos before the ascension of Adeleke into the political leadership of the state.
“What is the rationale behind the Adeleke security operatives putting on a different uniform from the normal police uniform, no name tag, covering their noses and faces with nose masks.
“It is incumbent on the Inspector-General of Police(IGP) to investigate the needless and brutal attack on the innocent journalist and the cameramen who were rough handled and attacked thereby subjecting the image of the police into disrepute.
“The IGP should also find out if the indecorum Adeleke security aides who threw caution to the wind by assaulting the journalist and cameramen are either fake or authentic police because of their uniform which is different from the one accustomed to by the citizenry.
“It is high time Governor Adeleke stopped exporting vices to another state as this is telling on her corporate image which has always been in the news for negative events”, Lawal cautioned the governor.
Responding, the spokesperson to Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed, apologised to the Ogun NUJ for the assault on Adigun and his crew.
Assuring that such an incident would not happen again, he stated that the aides in the reported viral video did not belong to the convoy of Governor Adeleke since several dignitaries attended the event with their security personnel.
In the statement obtained by OsunDailyNG, Olawale stated that, “On behalf of the State Governor, I apologize to the Ogun State Secretary of the NUJ and any other journalist who may have been affected by the incident.
“However, we want to put it on record that several dignitaries attended the event with several security personnel of various sections and departments. The officials shown in the video do not belong to the convoy of the Osun state Governor.”
He insisted that the security team operates with strict guidelines to ensure full respect not just for journalists but also to members of the public.
“While an internal investigation has been conducted, Governor Adeleke’ team, especially the security apparatus, operates strict guidelines to ensure full respect not just for journalists on their legitimate assignments but also to members of the public in the discharge of their duties.
“Governor Adeleke is a deeply media friendly leader who recently hosted the South West team of the NUJ with all state chairmen and officials in attendance.
“The Governor is also working to support the South West NUJ to host the national NUJ Conference later this year as the grand patron of NUJ for Osun State,” he added.
