The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has condemned an attack on three photojournalists by officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Department of State Service (DSS) and called on the Federal Government to launch an independent investigation into the matter and ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable.
MRA also demanded that the photojournalists; Olu Aremo, Olatunji Obasa, and Mudashiru Atanda of the Leadership, The Punch and The Sun Newspapers, be adequately compensated for the injuries suffered and equipment destroyed.
In a statement issued in Lagos by MRA’s Programme Director, Mr. Ayode Longe, it was stated that after physically assaulting the photojournalists, the security operatives also deleted the pictures taken by Mr. Aremo.
It had been reported that the journalists were assaulted on January 6 at the headquarters of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in Abuja while covering the registration of Nigerians for the National Identification Number (NIN) following the ultimatum given to all Nigerians by the Federal Government to link their mobile phone numbers to their NINs.
Mr. Longe said, “I wonder how covering an exercise ordered by the government could have become an offense that could provoke such an attack on media professionals carrying out their legitimate duties.
“The photojournalists have a duty and a right to cover the exercise to enable both the government and other citizens to know what is going on and evaluate the success or otherwise of the exercise. The attack on innocent journalists carrying out their legitimate duties was unwarranted, and constituted an unconscionable disregard for the rule of law.”
According to him, “It is the responsibility of security and law enforcement agencies to protect journalists to enable them to carry out their professional duties without let or hindrance. It is therefore incomprehensible and unacceptable for officials and agents of the same security and law enforcement agencies to assault the very journalists that they are supposed to protect, especially where they have committed no offense.”