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…. injure journalists,
…. cameras, phones damaged, stolen
It was harzzadous day for journalists covering activities of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos yesterday as hoodlums attacked them while coming from an assignment with the Governor to celebrate the homecoming of the All Progressive Congress presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and left some of them injured.
The journalists especially the female correspondents were earlier physically and verbally harassed and denied access by the security at the Presidential Wing of the Muritala Muhammed International Airport to cover the arrival of the ruling party’s Presidential flag bearer.
The unfortunate incident occured between Adeniji and Ebute-Ero on Lagos Island while returning from the Iga -Iduganran Palace of Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu where they had gone with Governor Sanwo-Olu and other entourage who accompanied the the APC presidential flag bearer to the monarch.
The heavily armed thugs shattered the windscreen of the bus and window and left no fewer than two journalists wounded with others sustaining various scars on their bodies.
The press crew bus which was in the convoy of All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, was attacked by the thugs who threw heavy stones repeatedly as it joined other vehicles conveying dignitaries, including Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje; and others, who had just left the palace of Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu.
Tinubu, who arrived Lagos Airport at around 3:40pm, to the waiting hands of enthusiastic crowd of party loyalists and supporters, had immediately headed to the palace of Oba Akiolu on a courtesy call.
The press crew bus was heavily attacked by the hoodlums, as it drove with high speed to escape while journalists had to lie low in it for many to escape being injured, but few others still had brushes.
However, Western Post correspondent, Adeola Ogunrinde and Omatseye Atsenuwa of Smooth 98’1fm got wounded, while Adedoja Salam of TVC went into shock due to heavy bombardment of stones and bricks thrown at the press crew bus, leaving the bus with smithereens of glasses.
Ogunrinde got wounded in the face, while Atsenuwa had his arm hit directly by one of the heavy stones thrown at the press crew bus.
Earlier while at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport,the Press Crew had experienced a security threat following unprofessional conduct of the security officers at the entrance gate of the Presidential wing. The press crew were stopped and the security ordered all of them to disembark from the bus.
After complying with the directive, they were told to file in but suddenly the overzealous security operatives comprising of the officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces, State Security Service shut the gate at the Correspondents. Some were hit in the process of pushing them back some female journalists lamented that they were ‘rough handled’. The development forced many of them to return to the Press Crew Bus while the politicians and party faithful were allowed entrance instead of journalists who were their to cover the event for their various media organisations.
