Lagos condemns assault on journalist

The Lagos State Government on Thursday condemned the brutalisation of a journalist with Guild Press Limited, Benjamin Anaja by some operatives of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) at Meiran Bus Stop, along the Lagos Abeokuta Expressway.

Anaja in a video gone viral on Wednesday evening accused the KAI officials of brutalising him while recording some operatives of KAI dislodging street traders at Meiran Bus Stop.

Despite producing his identity card, Anaja said he was dragged into the Green Maria, brutalized, detained for several hours and had his identity card rumpled before he was eventually released at Ikeja Along Bus Stop.

Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, said the present administration has a zero-tolerance for any form of the brutalisation of members of the public by any of her staffers or agents.

He stated that the incident will be thoroughly investigated and all the KAI operatives mentioned in the news report will be interrogated and punitive measures are taken if found culpable.

Bello reiterated that the complainant would also be invited to come forward and substantiate his complaint and possibly identify the culprits who attacked him despite identifying himself as a journalist.

“The State apologised to the victim, the management of the Guild publishing company and the Nigerian Union of Journalists, promising that such an unfortunate incident will not repeat itself,” he said.

According to him, the present administration believes in a free and unfettered media which is a basic requirement for a better and egalitarian society.