(MRA/IFEX) – On 26 April 2005, thugs loyal to the ruling political party in Lagos state, the Alliance for Democracy (AD), raided the press centre at Lagos state government headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja (the state capital), and beat up two journalists, seriously injuring them. The thugs assaulted journalists Femi Akinola, of the daily “New Age”, […]
(MRA/IFEX) – On 26 April 2005, thugs loyal to the ruling political party in Lagos state, the Alliance for Democracy (AD), raided the press centre at Lagos state government headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja (the state capital), and beat up two journalists, seriously injuring them.
The thugs assaulted journalists Femi Akinola, of the daily “New Age”, and Bamidele Ayodo, of the neighbouring Ogun state government-owned Gateway Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), both of whom are assigned to cover Lagos state government activities.
The incident took place at a press briefing organised by the Lagos state commissioner for transportation, Muiz Banire, to review his ministry’s performance over the past year. While attempting to force their way into the press centre, the thugs attacked the journalists and severely beat them. Akinola sustained several injuries, including the dislocation of his lower jaw and a broken tooth, while Ayodo had a deep cut on his upper lip.
The Lagos state government sent the journalists a swift apology over the incident. In a letter addressed to their media organisations’ management, Kehinde Bamgbetan, chief press secretary to Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu, said State Commissioner for Information Dele Alake and Information Ministry Permanent Secretary Segun Ayobolu expressed the government’s regrets over the incident and offered its apologies.
Bamgbetan said the state’s deputy governor, Chief Femi Pedro, ordered that the thugs involved in the incident be arrested and prosecuted. He added that in order to prevent a repeat of such incidents, the State Executive Council had banned future invitations of non-ministry staff to press briefings.
