#EndSARS Protests: Police Beat, Harass, Arrest Journalists

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The International Press Centre (IPC) has condemned in strong terms the arrests, assault and in some cases, where security men barred some journalists from covering the #EndSARS one-year anniversary protests in Lagos and other parts of the country on Wednesday.
In a statement made available to newsmen and signed by Olutoyin Ayoade, the Communications Officer of the Center, noted that the attacks on the journalists who were on legitimate duty to cover the event, “marks an unfortunate and condemnable repeat of the assault on the media during the #EndSARS protests in October last year.
The report monitored from the IPC situation room “reveals that Legit.ng Online reporter, Abisola Alawode was arrested at the Lekki toll plaza while PM News correspondent, Taiwo Okanlawon and the Arise TV crew of Adefemi Akinsanya and Ope Adenihun were beaten and harassed at the same venue.

“The Arise TV crew were also illegally ordered to pull down the drone they were using to cover the event.

“Policemen also barred The Punch Newspaper correspondent, Adebimpe Olajiga, from covering the protest, and in Osogbo, Daily Post correspondent, Sikiru Obarayase, was arrested during the anniversary match in the state capital.”

Also, the IPC Executive Director, Lanre Arogundade, stressed that “It is highly regrettable the security agencies continue to fail to recognise journalists as frontline workers during crisis situations.

“The combined effect of the repression of the journalists, media professionals, and #Endsars activists is that the democratic space is being undermined by the government through the security agencies.”

Arogundade insisted that the actions of the policemen pose a major threat to the ability of the media to serve as a societal watchdog and hold the government accountable to the people.

He stressed that it was equally wrong for the police to arrest and detain the #Endsars protesters describing the action as a clear violation of the right to peacefully assemble and protest.

IPC therefore called on the relevant agencies to halt the assault on democratic rights of Nigerian citizens and demanded that those responsible for Wednesday’s attacks be fished out and prosecuted.