Protests: FCT Police arrest NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel Chairman

PATRICK WEMAMBU

Jide Oyekunle, Nigeria Union of Journalists Abuja Correspondents’ Chapel Chairman, was arrested by the FCT Police Command while covering the first day of the protest with #EndBadGovernance on Thursday.

Speaking on his ordeal, Oyekunle said; “We were coming from the (MKO Abiola) National Stadium upon getting to the Eagle Square, the Police came after journalists… The FCT Police Commissioner, Benneth Igwe, personally collected my mobile phone. I didn’t commit any crime; I was only covering the protests…I don’t know why Police are trying to suppress Press Freedom while we are carrying out our constitutional duties. This is unfair.” As at time of filing this report, however, Oyekunle had since been released.

Earlier, at the National Stadium, the protest had witnessed two groups with pro-government individuals carrying placards reading “No Protests” arriving the venue in white-colored Coaster buses.

Even while acknowledging hardships in the country, leader of the group said he was opposed to the August 1 show-down.

Elsewhere within the territory, violence was witnessed at Karu, some 46-minute drive from the city center where protesters set up bonfires on the roads as well as at Mararaba-Keffi Road, boundary between FCT and Nasarawa where security forces fired teargas canisters to disperse rampaging protesters.

Similarly, pockets of violence were recorded at the Dutse-Kubwa axis with security agencies dispersing protesters for barricading the Airport- Gwagwalada highway.

On a sad note, unconfirmed reports say some violent protesters were shot dead at Suleja, some 52 kilometres to Abuja.

Reacting to the violence recorded in parts of the territory, the Force PRO, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in an interview with a television station monitored in Abuja said those who went to the Eagle Square should not be regarded as protesters.

His words; “There’s difference between protesters and violent-trigger people… We were not expected to have protesters at the Eagle Square in the first instance…Those that assembled at the Eagle Square were there for ulterior motives…For people to block highways, I don’t think the organizers and those who have come out genuinely to protest would do that kind of a thing. So these people are those who we said we have gathered intelligence that they would likely hijack the protest.”

Meanwhile, a situation room report by the International Press Council (IPC) has condemned the reported attacks on journalists covering the opening day nation-wide protest. The organization described the ordeals of Messrs Yakubu Mohammed of the Premium Times, Jide Oyekunle of Daily Independent and Mary Adeboye of News Central Television in Abuja as unfortunate.

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