By Justus Adetomiwa, Ado-Ekiti
The Ekiti State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned the attack on two journalists who covered the just concluded governorship election in the state.
The journalists, Rasaq Ibrahim of The Nation newspaper and Yunusa Ishola of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), were reportedly assaulted by some voters at Polling Unit 10, Ward B, Iyin Ekiti, while carrying out their professional duties.
In a statement jointly signed by the NUJ Chairman, Comrade Kayode Babatuyi, and the Secretary, O’Seun Ogunsakin, the union described the attack as unwarranted and a direct assault on press freedom.
The council also expressed disappointment over the failure of security personnel at the polling unit to protect the journalists, accusing them of standing by as mere spectators instead of maintaining law and order.
According to the statement, the incident occurred amid tension following the reported arrival of operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the polling unit to monitor alleged vote-buying activities.
The union explained that the situation escalated when Ibrahim, who was recording the incident on his mobile phone in the course of his duty, was confronted by some agitated voters.
“Despite identifying himself as a journalist documenting the events, the crowd became hostile and physically assaulted him in an apparent attempt to prevent coverage of the incident. Mr. Ibrahim sustained injuries to his legs but managed to escape,” the statement said.
The NUJ further disclosed that NAN correspondent, Yunusa Ishola, was also caught in the ensuing chaos and lost his official identity card while covering the incident.
The union noted that attacks on journalists not only endanger their lives, but also undermine the media’s constitutional role of providing accurate, credible and timely information to the public, especially during elections.
It stressed that journalists must be allowed to operate freely and safely during electoral processes, which are critical to the country’s democratic development.
The NUJ, therefore, called on relevant security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.