(MRA/IFEX) – On 12 December 2004, policemen assigned to protect the governor of Oyo State (southwestern Nigeria), Alhaji Rashidi Ladoja, assaulted two journalists on the orders the governor’s chief security officer. The targeted journalists were AbdulRazak Adebayo, of “Daily Trust” newspaper, and Tunde Sanni, of “ThisDay” newspaper. The incident took place in Ilorin, the Kwara […]
(MRA/IFEX) – On 12 December 2004, policemen assigned to protect the governor of Oyo State (southwestern Nigeria), Alhaji Rashidi Ladoja, assaulted two journalists on the orders the governor’s chief security officer. The targeted journalists were AbdulRazak Adebayo, of “Daily Trust” newspaper, and Tunde Sanni, of “ThisDay” newspaper.
The incident took place in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at a memorial prayer session held for the late Adisa Bakare, the father of former minister of works and housing Alhaji Abdulkarim Adisa, who died on 7 December.
After the prayers, Adebayo and Sanni approached Governor Ladoja to interview him. The chief security officer directed the policemen to prevent the journalists from approaching the governor. In carrying out their superior officer’s directive, the policemen roughly pushed Adebayo and Sanni, along with other bystanders, into a nearby gutter.
In the scuffle, Adebayo sustained injuries and had to be taken to a nearby clinic for medical treatment. He also lost his tape recorder.
