The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos, has condemned the reported assault on Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), by police officers at the Ikeja Police Command in Lagos State.
According to IPC’s Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) Hub, Ojukwu was attacked while visiting the Complaints Response Unit (CRU) to obtain details of policemen accused of extorting money from detainees.
His eyeglasses were broken, his phone damaged, his wristwatch torn off, and he sustained body injuries.
The IPC urged the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, to review CCTV footage of the incident and ensure those responsible are sanctioned.
It also called for compensation for Ojukwu and continuous training of officers on professional conduct towards civilians and journalists.
In a related development, IPC expressed concern over the recent altercation between the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, and veteran journalist, Ladi Bala, during coverage of the Abuja-Kaduna train derailment.
Bala, a former President of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), alleged that Opeifa verbally abused and threatened her.
Opeifa has since apologised to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT chapter, saying his remarks were made in the heat of the moment.
The Minister of Transportation, Saidu Ahmed Alkali, and Opeifa also assured that sabotage was not responsible for the derailment and reiterated government’s commitment to railway safety.