Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Imo State Council, has demanded an unreserved apology from authorities of the Imo State House of Assembly and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, over the rising wave of brutal attacks on journalists in the state by some overzealous security operatives and politicians.
The union declared that it would no longer tolerate any such cruelty in the future insisting that those supposedly aggrieved as a result of a news report, should not take laws into their hands by resorting to violent attacks on the reporters.
In a statement issued at the weekend by the council in reaction to the recent physical assault on its members, Mr Ike Nwosu of the Eastern Lead Newspaper and Mr Ndubueze Nwokoma of the Newspoint.
The statement signed by the state chairman, Comrade Chris Akaraonye and the secretary, Comrade Juliet Dim, decried the alleged brutal attacks and manhandling of Mr Nwosu and Nwokoma by aides to the member representing Oguta state constituency, Hon. Frank Ugboma and the Civil Defence.
Akaraonye, who hinted that the union was investigating the circumstances surrounding the separate attacks, particularly flayed the NSCDC operative who allegedly attacked Nwokoma with the butt of his rifle and thereby inflicted bodily injury on him.
The union described the attacks as unwarranted and recalled that Imo public still remember with pains the gruesome killing of a 2019 senatorial candidate of the Action Alliance, AA, Hon. Ndubuisi Emenike, by a trigger-happy operative of the NSCDC.
“It was alleged that aides to the member representing Oguta State Constituency, Hon. Frank Ugboma manhandled and inflicted bodily injuries to Ike Nwosu at the House of Assembly complex over a news report that did not go down well with the lawmaker.
“Also, we have been briefed of the physical assault on Ndubueze Nwokeoma by a security personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, for allegedly parking his car in a wrong place.
The leadership of NUJ, Imo State Council, wishes to state that we condemn any physical assault on journalists, especially our members by security agents or overzealous aides of anybody no matter the level of provocation.
“The leadership and members of the NUJ in Imo State will no longer tolerate any further attack on our members and other media practitioners no matter the level of grievances.
“In the interim, the leadership of the NSCDC and Imo State House of Assembly should take responsibility for the treatment of our colleagues while we seek for peaceful resolutions on the issues. We also demand an unreserved apology for the physical assaults on our members,” partly the statement read.
The chairman disclosed that the union had commenced a process to revalidate its members in the state, and assured of the continued cooperation of the union in moving the state forward.
