Some policemen from the Delta state Command, on Thursday tear gassed a group of journalists covering the nationwide protest in Asaba, the state capital.
The journalists who were mainly of The Pointer Newspaper had monitored the protests from the Okpanam road axis heading towards the Stephen Keshi Stadium along Nnebisi road, but were intercepted by a group of policemen at Anglican Girls Grammar School (AGGS) junction.
The youths who were peaceful in their protest chanting and holding different placards with inscriptions such as, “We are Hungry; Hunger dey; Give us job; Food is Costly; We can’t buy fuel anymore; End bad government; Stop Renewed Hunger” and so on, were intercepted by the policemen loaded in different vehicles fully armed.
The protesters were stopped from advancing further towards the stadium. From the facial expression of some of the policemen, one could tell that the ‘instruction or order from above’ to stop the protesters was a reality. One of (policemen who was asked why he was frowning, responded, “Hunger Dey”.
While the journalists were filming and taking photos of the protests, police officers who were all armed to the teeth released teargas on them and the protesters, leading to everyone scampering for safety.
The journalists, including editors, bolted away for safety as some ran into the First Bank ATM kios and towards their office gasping for breath from the effect of the teargas.
Earlier at Inter Bau round-about in Asaba, three other journalists were attacked. Amour Udemude, of the Sahara Reporters; Monday Asayende and Mathew Ochei of the Guardian and Punch Newspapers respectively were attacked by Oshimili South councilors, led by the Personal Assistant {PA} to the Oshimili South Local Government Chairman by the name, Greg before the men in military uniform intervened. Udemude and Osayende had their clothes torn.
Confirming the incident to The Pointer, Amour Udemude said, he and other journalists encountered a group of councilors and aides of the Oshimili local government chairman, intimidating the protesters.
He explained that he quickly went into live broadcast to his medium, on what was happening. He said, the men pounced on him and began to beat and rough handle him targeting to snatch his phone.
He added that if not for Ochei’s intervention, who whisked his phone away, the ‘anti-protesters men’ would have destroyed it.
Udemude said that the men being angered for not being able to seize his phone threatened him saying. “We have marked your face. You will be dealt with if the video of this incident is seen anywhere”.
“My greatest surprise was that this incident went on unhindered under the watchful eyes of the Nigerian police and nothing was done before the military man came”, he lamented.
