Angry Protesters Attack Journalists In Osun, Destroy Gadgets

On Monday morning in Ilesha, Osun State, some youths residing around Olomilagbala and Bolorunduru Communities in the town had ganged up to unleash terror on journalists who had come to cover a riot that broke out between the members of the communities and workers of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company IBEDC.

Amiloaded gathered that no fewer than five journalists were attacked and their equipment severely damaged by the aggrieved youths.

Five Journalists, namely : Shitu Abdulfatai of the Channels TV, his Camera man, Kadri Kabir, Rafiu Hammed of TV Continental, (TVC) and his Camera man, Taiwo Adu were among those attacked by suspected thugs

Amiloaded learnt that the attack was organized by the hoodlums against the backdrop of electricity disconnection in the community by the management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) and assault on the staff of the company.

Amiloaded also obtained that the aggrieved youths had on Sunday staged a protest across the nooks and crannies of the community.

At the resuming protest this morning, the aggrieved youths who had earlier stormed the major streets in the town barricaded the roads and prevented vehicular movement.

The protesters on the sight of the journalists who were at the scene covering their protest lose anger and descended on them.

The irate youths who were said to have armed with knives, cutlass and some other dangerous weapons attacked the journalists and their cameras damaged beyond repair.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Osun State Council has condemned the attack on its members, while describing it as uncivilised and barbaric.

According to the Union, the newsmen were in Ilesa in the early hours of Monday to cover the protest embarked upon by irate youths over power outage in Ijesa land.

The union, through a statement signed by the State Chairman, Comrade Kehinde Ayantunji further described the attackers as crude characters, adding that the union would do everything possible to make sure that the perpetrators face the wrath of the law.

It added that the journalists could have lost their lives if not the timely intervention of some good Samaritans who promptly came to their rescue.

“We are shocked and seriously disturbed by the ruthless attack on four of our members today in Ilesa. We considered such attack as bestial , barbaric and uncivilised; and a declaration of war against journalists who were performing their constitutional responsibility.

“It is indeed regrettable that those who were striving hard to ensure that the legitimate grievance of the people are brought to the attention of concerned authorities now became subject of attack.

” The attack was so brutal to the extent that Taiwo Adu of TVC and Kadir Kabir of Channels could not stand on their feet as at the time of issuing this release, they were callously hit with bottle and various dangerous objects and held captive for about an hour with serious humiliation.

” They are currently on admission at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospitals, Osogbo. Their Cameras and other gadgets worth million of Naira were completely destroyed.

“While we recognise right of protest as a fundamental right, it must not be allowed to degenerate to the level of being hijacked by hoodlums in which journalists unfortunately became victims.

We are calling on security agencies to swiftly swing into action and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book without delay”, the statement read