Police Allegedly Beat Journalist Twice With Electric Cable In Abuja

DPO, officers accused of assaulting Pinnacle Daily editor in Abuja for filming demolition exercise

By Bukar BOLORI

A coalition of media and civil society organisations has condemned the alleged brutal assault of the Editor of Pinnacle Daily, Sunday Ogwu, by police officers and members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) during a demolition exercise in Lugbe, Abuja.

The Coalition for Whistleblower Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF), in a statement issued on Thursday, alleged that Ogwu was twice flogged with an electric cable by police operatives attached to the Lugbe Police Division after he attempted to document the demolition exercise with his mobile phone.

The coalition alleged that the assault was carried out under the supervision and direction of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Lugbe Police Division, identified in the statement as CSP Uchenna.

According to an account provided to the coalition by Ogwu, the incident occurred at about 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19, when he was taking a walk around the Lugbe Federal Housing Estate area and encountered a joint demolition operation involving police personnel and VGN members.

The operation, according to the account, involved about four Hilux patrol vans marked “Lugbe Police Division” and VGN operatives wearing brown uniforms.

Ogwu reportedly brought out his mobile phone to document the exercise, prompting a police officer to allegedly seize the device from him.

The journalist was said to have repeatedly identified himself as a journalist and attempted to speak with the team leader, but the situation allegedly escalated after police officers surrounded him and arrested some local youths.

The officers reportedly ordered Ogwu to enter one of the patrol vans.

When he declined, insisting that he was a journalist and had committed no offence, he was allegedly flogged with an electric cable on the instruction of the officer in charge.

The coalition said the journalist was later allowed to leave after his phone was returned.

However, about 100 metres from the demolition site, Ogwu reportedly began recording a video documenting the alleged assault and attempted to send a distress message to his media organisation.

The police officers allegedly noticed him filming, pursued him, dragged him back to the demolition site and subjected him to another round of flogging.

CWPPF alleged that the officer in charge ordered the second assault, declaring that the first beating “was not enough”.

The incident allegedly left Ogwu injured and his mobile phone severely damaged before passersby intervened and urged him to leave the area for his safety.

The coalition described the alleged assault as an attack on press freedom and an abuse of police authority, arguing that journalists should not be subjected to violence for documenting activities carried out by public authorities.

It called on Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and the FCT Police Command to immediately investigate the incident and identify and discipline all police officers and VGN personnel allegedly involved.

The coalition also demanded full compensation for Ogwu’s damaged phone, payment of his medical expenses and a formal public apology to the journalist and the management of Pinnacle Daily.

It further called for directives to all police divisions in the Federal Capital Territory to stop the alleged intimidation, harassment and assault of journalists covering public events.

CWPPF said the incident was particularly disturbing because police officers, whose constitutional responsibility includes maintaining law and order, were alleged to have used violence against a journalist performing what it described as a legitimate professional and civic function.

“Journalism is not a crime,” the coalition said, stressing that the press has a constitutional responsibility to scrutinise public institutions and keep citizens informed.

The allegation comes amid continuing concerns over the safety of journalists covering sensitive public-interest issues in Nigeria, particularly protests, demolitions, elections, security operations and other activities involving government agencies and security personnel.

Media-rights organisations have repeatedly called for stronger accountability mechanisms to ensure that security agencies respect journalists’ rights while carrying out their duties.

The Lugbe incident, if established, could further fuel concerns over the treatment of journalists by law-enforcement personnel and Nigeria’s broader record on press freedom and protection of media workers.

CWPPF comprises media, civil society and legal organisations working to promote whistleblower protection, freedom of expression and press freedom.

The coalition includes Premium Times, Cable Newspaper Journalism Foundation, Daily Trust, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), African Centre for Media & Information Literacy, International Press Centre, Media Rights Agenda, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Paradigm Initiative, SERAP, HEDA Resources Centre, WikkiTimes, Global Rights, Dataphyte Foundation, Accountability Lab Nigeria, FOLEGAL, Women Radio 91.7 FM, Inibehe Effiong Chambers, Pinnacle Daily, Gatefield, Enough is Enough and other organisations.

The coalition said it remained committed to ensuring that journalists could carry out their constitutional responsibilities without fear of retaliation, intimidation or harassment.

The allegations contained in the coalition’s statement could not, from the material provided, be independently verified.

The police and the Lugbe Police Division had not responded to the allegations at the time of the statement.