By Admin
A reporter of Silverbird Television, John Alabi who was apprehended by policemen on Tuesday while on duty at Moniya axis of Ibadan, the Capital City of Oyo state has gave detailed account of what led to his arrest and molestation by the police.
Naijanewshub.com.ng reports that John Alabi who sustained injury at the upper layer of his left eye was at the scene of the incident that happened between policemen and yahoo boys in Moniya Garage area, of Akinyele Local Government, Ibadan, where a police officer was confirmed dead in an attempt to arrest the said yahoo boys.
According to John, who maintained he was at that particular scene to cover the details of the sad occurrence for his media outfit before he was allegedly assaulted, arrested unjustly and molested by policemen who were on ground to maintain law and order in the affected area despite showing them all means of identifications as a journalist.
Though, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP. Adewale Osifeso in a swift response to the matter on Tuesday through a press release made available to Journalists in the state confirmed the incident and affirmed that the state commissioner of Police, CP. Adebowale Williams has ordered a discreet investigation into the matter.
John who sent his reactions to his colleagues via Oyo NUJ platform stated that, “I was at Akinyele local government on Tuesday, 25th April, 2023 at Moniya, Ibadan. In the morning on the said date, where I had a scheduled assignment to cover for my organization.”
“As a journalist, I got to the venue ahead of commencement of the assignment as expected, unfortunately while waiting for the organizers, I got wind of an information that there was a public disorder around the Akinyele local government.”
“As expected of a professional journalist, I tried to know what the matter was and I was taking few shots. Immediately I saw about five police officers who approached and harassed me, hitting me with gun bottom, despite calling their attention to the fact that I am a journalist.”
“I showed them my identity card as a journalist and other evidence that I’m a newsman, but they turned deaf ear, arrested me and detained my at Akinyele police from around 10:45 in the morning till 4:30 in the evening.”
“It took the intervention of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Oyo State council before I was released.”
“Before i drop my picture on oyo Nuj platform some of them said i will be lock up at the state CID Iyanganku and i will pay for a crime I did not committed that was prior to the picture I dropped on Oyo NUJ platform…..Am now home safely …thanks to everyone” John stated.