Mr. Garrick said the soldiers were attached to “Operation Thunderstorm” which is being coordinated by the Army’s 4th Mechanised Brigade in Benin.
The affected journalists and their designations as listed by Mr. Garrick in an email to PREMIUM TIMES are as follows: Tony Abulu (Production Manager); Richard Hasley (Reporter); Opara Uche (Reporter); Handy Romeo Eze (Reporter); Kelvin Toryila (Video Editor) and Lanre Ogunleye, an IT associate.Others include: Balogun Ehigie (IT ); Kenneth Danpome (Head IT), Mathew (Logistics Manager) and Joe Epi (Driver).
“The journalists were taken away, wearing only boxers after they were brutalised and their properties including identity cards, laptops and mobile phones were seized from them,”
Mr. Garrick said they were in Benin to carry out survey of voters and report on early preparations of INEC and other stakeholders ahead of the gubernatorial election holding there on September said.
Army spokesman, Sani Usman, did not respond to the’ request for comment. The management of Douban Hotel declined comments Wednesday evening. But Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Theodore Okafor, confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES.“Some agents of the SSS and soldiers from the 4th Mechanised Brigade went to the hotel around 10 p.m.,” Mr. Okafor, a DSP, said. “They searched the hotel and some people were taken away. They’re being interrogated at the 4th Brigade now.”Mr. Garrick condemned rising “cases of attacks against free speech” and demandedan immediate release of his staff.“
I am deeply saddened to see that the risingcases of attacks against journalists, bloggers and other free speech advocates have gotten to my turn,” Mr. Garrick said. “I never knew it would get to this extent or to me.”
The onslaught against Watchdog Media crew comes exactly two weeks after SSS operatives stormed the residence of Emenike Iroegbu, a political blogger based in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
0 blogger:
Post a Comment
Please drop your comments