*mPolice yet to apologize – victim
By Our Correspondent
A Journalist working for Daybreak Nigeria Newspapers in Kaduna state Mr. Idibia Gabriel, popularly known as High Chief, has been reportedly arrested and torture by operatives of Nigerian police force, in Kaduna.
He was arrested for taking picture of uncountable number of herds of cattle being Shepherded by uniform police along Kachia major road at U/Boro, in Sabon Tasha area of the state, along with two others on June 11th 2024, but was later released.
However in a recent telephone interview with one of the star witness and also a victim of the police arrest, Comrade Kevin Sunday Umaru, who confirmed the incident said Journalist Idibia was physically tortured and brutalized psychologically and mentally for doing nothing to the police.
Mr. Kevin Umaru, a Kaduna indigene who was also a victim of police arrest on same day and time, but in a different location, also confirmed that the police wanted to kill the journalist whom he said was knock down with heavy blows by an officer.
Earlier in an interview with Umaru, Mr. Idibia, expressed lamentation, emphasizing that he did not do anything to harm the police officers to warrant the torture, knowing the importance of the operation
He said, aside greeting and introducing himself as journalist and taking action picture of a section of the large herd of cattle he never did anything wrongly.
Reacting to the denial of torturing of the Journalist by police, Mr. Kevin Umaru retorted thus: “Its a big lie, many of them were there, including one short police. I told my people that you sat innocently, and that boy just blow you.
“The female police officer, in fact, everybody there can testify that the boy gave you heavy blows. Is it somebody who ask them to go and drinking hard drugs? “In fact, he wanted to kill you, and one other boy that was coming around you all the time.
“I know their names, there is Awual, there is Badogu, there is one who write statement for you. The one that was kind to us is Nehemiah.
“The one that was always coming around, insulting you with long stick is from Adamawa state. That your brother”, the Idoma person know all the boys”, he said.
When he was told to be sincere and fearless when contacted for clarification by NUJ Union body leaders, Kevin responded sharply, adding, “Was I not there, he asked. Nobody touch me”, he concluded.
Mr. Idibia was arrested by the police operatives and later taken to their custody at the police CID, Kaduna state Branch, at Ibrahim Taiwo road, where he collapsed as a result of tortured with the left side of his face injured
Confirming the witness testimony to the state Police PPRO on Saturday 29th June 2024, with the audio interview, Asp Mansir Hassan could neither contested the witness account nor faulted the facts of the matter as stated in audio sent to his WhatsApp number.
A Coalition of Whistleblowers Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF), had earlier issued statement condemning the arrest and assault on journalist by police, describing the action as unlawful and disturbing.
Up til date the Nigerian police is yet to come up any statement on the unlawful assault on the journalist currently battling with eye injury he sustained in the encounter and currently receiving treatment with suppoting from CWPPF and the Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Developed (CJID), amongst other journalists protection bodies.
