The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos, has raised alarm over alleged police brutality against Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), and verbal harassment of another journalist by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Kayode Opeifa.
In a statement released through its Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) programme, the IPC said Ojukwu was physically and mentally assaulted by police officers at the Ikeja Police Command while attempting to obtain details from the Complaints Response Unit (CRU) about officers accused of extortion.
According to the report, Ojukwu’s eyeglasses were smashed, his wristwatch seized, his phone damaged, and he sustained bodily injuries during the attack.
The IPC urged Lagos Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin to fulfil his pledge to review CCTV footage of the incident and ensure those responsible are brought to justice. It also called for compensation for Ojukwu, describing the assault as “inhumane.”
“The police must take swift and adequate steps to bring to justice those who assaulted the journalist, while also instituting reforms that guarantee respect and protection for journalists,” IPC stated.
In a related case, the IPC condemned the treatment of Mrs. Ladi Bala, an editor with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and former President of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ). Bala alleged that NRC boss Kayode Opeifa verbally abused and threatened her while she was covering Tuesday’s Abuja-Kaduna train derailment.
IPC Executive Director, Lanre Arogundade, stressed that journalists play a crucial role during emergencies and must be treated with respect. “Public officials and security agencies must cooperate with journalists, explain security concerns with patience, and avoid remarks or actions that could be interpreted as threats,” he said.
Opeifa has since apologised to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory Council, during a media briefing in Abuja. “I regret the remarks I made in the heat of the moment. I sincerely apologise to Mrs. Ladi Bala, the NUJ FCT Council, and NAWOJ for my actions,” he said.
The NUJ had earlier demanded a public apology over the incident.
