NUJ Decries Brutalisation Of A Photo Journalist By Army Captain
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council has condemned in the strongest terms possible, what it described as the unwarranted assault on a Photo journalist with Daily Trust newspapers, Mr. Ikechukwu Ibe by an overzealous Army Captain.
The NUJ noted that Ibe was carrying out a legitimate assignment of news gathering on Thursday October 26, 2017 at Jabi area of Abuja when he was pounced on and brutally assaulted leaving him with multiple lacerations and swollen eyes.
The Union in a statement by the FCT Council Secretary, Mrs. Rafat Salami further said that the overzealous military officer confiscated Ibe’s camera, removed and destroyed the memory card just because he took some pictures of a vehicle that ran into a restaurant in Jabi.
According to Salami; “The NUJ to say the least, is disheartened over the ugly incident. Rather than treat journalists as partners in nation building, security agents have consistently treated journalists as enemies who must be crushed.
“More saddening is the fact that the assault took place just as Nigeria is preparing to commemorate the “International Day to End Impunity For Crimes Against Journalists” on November 2.
“This is unacceptable in a civilised and democratic nation where the Rule of Law must be allowed to thrive. It is a clear case of gross violation of the rights of the journalist.”
The NUJ Council Secretary also quoted the brutalized Ibe as having said; “When I got there at about 3:00pm, I introduced myself to the security men on ground and told them I would like to take some pictures”.
“When I started taking pictures, the Army Captain, who wore a camouflage without a name tag and part of the FCT Joint Ministerial Taskforce which included men of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), pounced on me and started beating me up without provocation.”
“They collected my camera, broke it and took my memory card which contained the photos that I had taken. They also tore my clothes before bundling me into a Black Maria where I met six other persons. I later put a call across to my photo editor and the Daily Trust Editor, who brought a pair of trousers to me at the Life Camp Police station where I was taken to.
“My editors later secured my release and my broken camera was handed back to me without the memory card. However, my Identity card and N3,700 cash in my pocket were not returned,” Ibe said.
The NUJ therefore called on the government to as a matter of necessity bring the perpetrator(s) of the dastardly act on this law abiding citizen, who was only doing his job to book,
The Union also requested for the immediate replacement of his damaged camera as well as adequately compensate Ibe for the brutalization meted on him
The NUJ also demanded an unreserved apology from the highest authority while it urged the authorities to put mechineries in place to prevent future incidences.
