Kwara journalists, NSCDC disagree over assault, detention allegations

Date: 2023-01-28

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has denied beating and detaining three Kwara journalists and a lawyer on Friday.

The Chairman of the Association of Kwara Online Media Practitioners, Salihu Taofeek, who doubles as the Publisher of Informant247 online news platform was on Friday afternoon allegedly beaten and locked up in a cell by the NSCDC officials for hours.

Taofeek was reportedly detained alongside the Editor of the news platform, Salihu Ayatullah, and Eyitanwa Lawal, a lawyer turned journalist with SOBI 101.9FM, Ilorin.

Narrating the incident, Taofeek said, “On Friday, at about 1pm, I received a call from a cousin who was arrested and detained by the Kwara State Command of the NSCDC. I and Salihu Ayatullahi went there in the company of a lawyer.

“On getting there, we were told it was a family issue and directed to the Peace and Conflict Resolution unit of the Command. At the unit, we were told that the detainee fought with the wife of one of their officers simply identified as Kannike, thus warranting his detention. We were redirected back to the Station Office.

“On getting back to the Station Office, the officer told us that the matter is a family one and we should leave and allow their other 'customers' to have space. We were about to leave when Eyitanwa, a journalist colleague with Sobi FM and a lawyer came in. She inquired about what happened from the detainee, without him responding, the officer at the counter started oral harassment by using abusive words on her, on the guise that she wasn't given permission to speak with a suspect under their care, all entreaties to make her desist proved abortive.”

Taofeek said he jocularly said “they called us their customers and they are not giving us friendly customer service.”

“That harmless reaction to their earlier comment about us being their customer obviously infuriated officers, thus they called their colleagues numbering about 30, who all dashed towards the 'station office.'

“The three of us were mercilessly beaten, we were thoroughly harassed, tearing our clothes in the process. They ceased our phones, profiled us as suspects and we were thrown into detention for more than four hours,” he narrated.

According to Taofeek, after realising the obvious overzealousness of their actions and the likely backlash, which was because they got to realise our profession, they brought us out, forced us to open our phones, thereby infringing on our privacy, accessed and deleted confidential pictures and videos after which they insisted and forced me to write an apology-like undertaking not to press charges, the content of which was dictated to me by the officer at the counter.

However, when contacted by The PUNCH on Saturday, the Kwara NSCDC spokesperson, Ayeni Olasunkanmi, denied the allegations, saying, “That was a lie from the pit of hell.”

According to the NSCDC, who seemed to corroborate Taofeek's narration, it was an issue between two families who came for mediation.

Olasunkanmi however said, “While it (the mediation) was going on, a lady by name Tanwa came around, and she was displaying some unruly behaviour, insulting our officers as if she has no training from nowhere.”

Olasunkanmi said Tanwa was cautioned and asked to sit at the detention area.

“Later, some lawyer came in to appeal on her behalf, and she was made to write an apology letter. We will still get back to her. I've just been informed that she's on social media ranting.”

When asked about the beating, the spokesman said, “Nobody beat her, she was not beaten. Let her come out with any evidence of beating.”

Meanwhile, Taofeek in his narration, added that “we resisted for more than three hours, until we threatened and grudgingly caved in at around 8:30pm. We wrote as they dictated and we were released without bail at around 8:45pm.”

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Fatimoh Lawal     Muhammad-Mustapha Suleiman     Ayodele Kuburat Olaosebikan     Yusuf Mubarak     Lawal Jimoh     Omu-aran     Makama Of Kaiama     KWSIEC     Ekiti     Hijaab     Sayomi     Maimunat Oloriegbe     Adamu Atta     Mamman Saba Jibril     Salake     Orisa Bridge     Gbenga Adebayo     Salihu Alhaji Musa     Olomu Of Omu-Aran     Muhammed Taofeeq Abdulrazaq     Usman Alkali Baba     Adebayo Mohammed Kamaldeen     Baboko     Abdulraheem Olesin     Oniwa     Niyi Osundare     Ojuekun Sarumi     Ado Bayero     Okala Baba     Femi Ogunsola     Rueben Parejo     Isiaka Saka Opobiyi     Yusuf Amuda Aluko     Afonja     Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency     Salman Alada     Sheikh Ridhwanullah     Oyedun Juliana Funke     Dankaka     Lawan     Yomi Adeboye     Michael Nzwekwe     Gbadeyan Gbadura Yomi     Saidu Yaro Musa     Valsolar-Kwara Company Limited     Vasolar Consortium     JMK Construction Company Limited     Voices Of Tomorrow     Adekunle David Dunmade     Monthly Sanitation Exercise     Ola Falade     Sa\'adu Salahu     Adedayo Yusuf Abdulkareem     Olajumoke Monsura Gafar     Christopher Tunji Ayeni     Olaoye B. Felix     Federal Polytechnic Offa     HYPPADEC     Emir Of Lafiagi     Minister     Turaki     Senate President     Kwara Volleyball Association     Lawyers Unite Against Corruption     Arca Santa     Femtech     Roseline Oni Aremu     Sheu Ndanusa Usman     Lafia Aliyu Korasabi     Ijakadi     Henry Makinwa     Awwal Jawondo     Kemi Adeosun     Oba Abdulraheem     Suleiman Idris     Ogidi-Oloje     Hausa    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Sobi FM     Coronavirus     Susan Modupe Oluwole     Tosin Saraki     Yomi Adeboye     Ahman Pategi University     Abubakar Kawu Baraje     Issa Manzuma     Kwara State Football Association     Lukman Oyebanji Fagbemi     Rebecca Bake     Adeleke Ogungbe     Omu-aran     Kwara University Of Education     Omoniyi Ayinla     Aliyu Sabi     Abdulrazaq Adebayo     Nupe     Lanre Badmas     Baakini     Trader Moni     Chartered Institute Of Personnel Management Of Nigeria     Tunde Akanbi     Oluronke Adeyemi     Omotosho     REO CAKES     Alagbado     Abiodun Musa Aibinu     BECE     International Public Sector Accounting Standards     Federal Road Maintenance Agency     Pius Abioje     Wahab Egbewole     Bola Magaji     Abdulwasiu Bolaji Adeyi     Christopher Ayeni     Yoruba     Elewu     Sunday Popo-Ola     AbdulKareem Yusuf Danhawa     Abdulrasheed Akogun     Ibrahim Taiwo Road     Abdulrahman Abdulrasak     A.G.F Abdulrasaq     Ilota     Muhammed Aliyu     General Hospital     Elesie Of Esie     Harafat E. Mukadam     Sebastine Obasi     Tunji Moronfoye     KWSIEC     Students Union Government     Afolabi-Oshatimehin Adenike Harriet     Teachers Specific Allowance     Senate     Kwarareports     Bayo Onimago     Offa Grammer School     Muhammed Abdullahi     Moshood Kashimawo Abiola     Jelili Yusuf     Hamidu Olowo     Mufti Of Ilorin     Bolakale Ayo     Alimi     Azeez Bello     Oko     Esinrogunjo     Academic Staff Union Of Universities     Aliyu Muyideen     Ahmad Lawan     Kwara Basketball Association     Wasiu Onidugbe     Sheikh Hamzat Yusuf Ariyibi     Memunat Monsuma     Iyabo Dupe Adekeye