NUJ petitions Osinbajo over IGP’s incessant attacks on Nigerian journalists - ITREALMS

#FreeSamuelOgundipe@ITREALMS: 

The President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Abdulwaheed Odusile, has petitioned the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on the incessant attacks on Nigerian journalists by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, reports ITREALMS.

Odusile, who wrote the petition on behalf of Nigerian journalists, used the arrest and detention of a Premium Times Reporter, Samuel Ogundipe, as take-off point.

He said Idris has a history of hounding Nigerian journalists, adding that this is giving the government a bad image.

The letter reads in full:

“August 15, 2018

His Excellency,

The Acting president,

Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN

The Villa, 

Abuja

“Your Excellency,

“PETITION AGAINST THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE, MR IBRAHIM IDRIS

I write this petition on behalf of thousands of Nigerian journalists, against the Inspector-General of police, Mr Ibrahim Idris over his incessant attacks on journalists and violent violations of their human rights, culminating in yesterday's (Tuesday)arrest of a Premium Times reporter, Mr Samuel Ogundipe.

Mr Ogundipe is being detained over the publication of the letter of the IGP to your Excellency, in respect of the police investigation on the DSS siege on National Assembly. The journalist is being held to disclose his source of information, a demand that is against the ethical precepts of our profession.

Your Excellency, we want to note that this is not the first time the IGP has been hounding the press. On January 1, this year, two journalists who are brothers, Messrs Daniel and Izuchukwu Elomba were abducted in their homes by SARS officers, on the orders of the IGP and detained for ten days, over what was published on their blog purportedly against the IGP.

It would be recalled that counsel to the two journalists, Festus Keyamo, (SAN) petitioned your Excellency and you caused the matter to be investigated. 

Consequently, on April 23, 2018, a Federal High court, sitting in Abuja awarded N5 million damages against the police for this illegal detention.

Also, on March 13, 2018, SARS officers, under the control of the IGP, abducted Abdulahi Krishi, the National Assembly correspondent of Daily Trust, right at the premises of the National Assembly. He was subsequently released 24 hours later after an outcry from the media.

Your Excellency, it is obvious that the excesses of the IGP against the media is giving your government a bad image as an anti-press government, even when it's obvious these infractions were carried out without the presidency's imprimatur.

We therefore implore your Excellency to call the Inspector-General to order and stop his incessant attacks on the media.

We also demand that the detained reporter of Premium Times be released forthwith.

Yours sincerely,

Abdulwaheed Odusile

National president

Nigeria Union of Journalists.”

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Incessant attacks on unarmed Christians is ‘jihadist’ – Rev Afolabi

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The incessant attacks on unarmed Christin across the country have described as ‘Jihadist terror” according to Rev. Oladele Afolabi, the General Overseer of Christ Base Assembly based in Oworonshoki, Lagos, reports ITRealms.

Speaking to ITRealms on Sunday after complying with the protest march called by the Christians Association of Nigeria nd Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Rev. Afolabi lamented the killings of many Christians in Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Plateau and other parts of the country.

For him, Nigeria, is under siege and requires absolute God’s intervention, stressing that he led the congregation to the peaceful protest to join other members of CANN, PFN in venting their displeasures over the unjust killings of innocent Christians.

The jihadist herdsmen, Rev. Afolabi said, are attacking people on their farms, homes and churches.

“We want the government to wake up to their basic responsibility of providing security for her citizenry.  This present government seems to be unmoved and careless about lives that are being wasted daily,” he said.

Also, the clergy bemoaned that with security situation, some of them are ashamed and shocked about the announcement on daily basis about gruesome killings in the country.

“But the government seems unconcerned,” he decried and listed some demands including an end to these killings, “release of Leah Sharibu, kidnapped by Boko Haram must be released and other girls that were not Christians have been released. She must be released.”

Rev. Afolabi equally reminded the government that Christians' lives matter, insisting that they may do more than this protest if government does not do as demanded.

Olugbenga Shittu/GEE

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Pix of members of the Christ Base Assembly church protesting on Sunday at Oworo-Lagos

Enough is enough says FRSC Corp Marshal on incessant attacks on personnel

ITRealms:

The Corps Marshal, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, has condemned the unprovoked attacks and molestation of operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on the highways and vowed to prosecute all those involved, declaring that enough is enough, reports ITRealms.

Speaking through the Corps Public Education Officer at FRSC, Bisi Kazeem, Corps Marshal said this has become pertinent on the heels of the recent shooting of two FRSC staff and the detention of another in a Police facility in Abia State.

“Many road users are abusing the civility of the unarmed personnel that are trained to be cautious while discharging their legitimate duties. In the past, many FRSC operatives had been abducted, killed, assaulted, ran over, threatened and shot. It is also disheartening that some of the attackers misinformed the unsuspecting public by releasing manipulated information to gain public sympathy. Attempts are often made to make the aggressors looked like the victims," Oyeyemi said.

Also, the Corps Marshal said the FRSC remains the nation’s lead agency on road traffic administration and safety management empowered to arrest and prosecute erring motorists. Stressing that, “Section 10 (4) of the FRSC (Establishment) Act, 2007 states categorically that members of the Corps shall have powers to arrest and prosecute persons reasonably suspected to have committed any traffic offence. Resistance based on ignorance of the law or impunity can no longer be grounds to attack operatives carrying out their lawful duties. We will definitely not abdicate our statutory responsibilities."

He recalled that the Abia incident which occurred on Saturday, July 15, 2017, saw his men being shot at.

According to FRSC Corps Marshal, “While we commend the Abia State Police Commissioner for swiftly directing the arrest and orderly room trial of the Policemen who shot the FRSC staff at Aro Ngwa along the Enugu – Port Harcourt expressway last Saturday, the Corps is deeply saddened by the shooting. It is also greatly concerned that the two young men were abandoned with their gun wounds by the Policemen attached to the wife of the Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly who shot them. Obviously, they were left to die at the scene by these Policemen who are also employees of government.”

He expressed thanks to the road users that assisted the two injured and abandoned staff to the hospital, and hopeful the two victims, still undergoing treatment will not suffer life-threatening injuries.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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