From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The staff of Abuja Development Control and members of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) Task Force manhandled, beat, arrested, and detained Mr. Godwin Tsa, a journalist with Daily Sun, while covering a peaceful protest by Abuja Mechanics and Spare parts dealers on Monday.
The traders staged a protest over 50 shops demolished during the pendency of their case in court.
Tsa, who conspicuously displayed his staff identity card on his neck, had pleaded with his attackers that he was not part of the protesters but only carrying out his legitimate work.
However, his plea fell on deaf ears as he was arrested and hauled in an Police Hilux pick-up truck, alongside some of the protesters and taken to the Utako police station where he was eventually locked up in a cell with criminals.
While the assault on the defenseless journalist was going on, some of the staff pleaded that the journalist be spared as he was only doing his work.
But their plea fell on deaf ears as some overzealous staff of the Development Control and task force kept molesting and assaulting him.
In the process, a certain woman among the task force forcefully seized the mobile phone belonging to the journalist and damaged the screen.
In all. – total of 20 protesters were arrested including the journalist and detained at the Utako divisional Police Station.
For about four hours during his stay at the police station, he could not reach out to his office, family members or anyone as his seized phone had not been released to him.
When his damaged phone was eventually returned to him, he was forced to delete all the pictures and videos of the protest.
Narrating his ordeal after his release, Mr Tsa stated;
“I arrived at the scene of the office of Development Control when the protesters had already gained entrance into the premises with their placards.
” So I stood by the entrance gate and began to take pictures and videos of the protest when I noticed that staff had come out to address the protesters.
“I then moved in to record his voice.
However, the place became rowdy when the protesters started demanding for his name and designation before they could give him an audience.
“When I noticed this unpleasant development, I started walking out of the premises only for some staff of the Development Control to block me and direct the security men manning the post to lock the gate.
” I pointed to my staff identity card that was hanging on my neck and told them I was a journalist and that I should be allowed to go out.
They held me by the trousers and started assaulting me saying I was not going to leave the premises.
It was when this was going on that members of the FCT Task Force arrived at the scene and descended on me and other protesters.
“I was manhandled, assaulted, and hauled into a police Hilux and taken to Utako.
“At the Utako police station, we were dumped behind the counter and were later summoned by the Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Victor Godfrey, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), who told us he was going to charge us for an offence of conspiracy, unlawful assembly, and violent protest.
” I told the DPO that I was a journalist and not part of the protesters. That I only went to cover the protest.
After the introduction, a lady who was with the DPO introduced herself as the Public Relations Officer of the Abuja Development Control and demanded I show her my staff identity card which I did.
She thereafter told the DPO to release me as I was only at their premises for coverage.
However, the DPO instructed that I should go and put that in a statement and return to his office for my release.
But what had appeared like a simple walk to freedom for me was the beginning of a long day that climaxed with my being thrown into the cell.
“While at the station, I kept complaining to the DPO that I urgently needed some treatment for the pains and injuries sustained during the assault on me.
On each occasion, he kept telling me that he had yet to get directives before he could release me.
It took the intervention of his office, the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Abuja chapter, and the National Association of Judiciary Correspondence (NAJUC) to secure my release from the station. This was after over seven grueling and painful hours.
Abuja Task Force, Staff of Development Control, assault, arrest, detain journalist
From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The staff of Abuja Development Control and members of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) Task Force manhandled, beat, arrested, and detained Mr. Godwin Tsa, a journalist with Daily Sun, while covering a peaceful protest by Abuja Mechanics and Spare parts dealers on Monday.
The traders staged a protest over 50 shops demolished during the pendency of their case in court.
Tsa, who conspicuously displayed his staff identity card on his neck, had pleaded with his attackers that he was not part of the protesters but only carrying out his legitimate work.
However, his plea fell on deaf ears as he was arrested and hauled in an Police Hilux pick-up truck, alongside some of the protesters and taken to the Utako police station where he was eventually locked up in a cell with criminals.
While the assault on the defenseless journalist was going on, some of the staff pleaded that the journalist be spared as he was only doing his work.
But their plea fell on deaf ears as some overzealous staff of the Development Control and task force kept molesting and assaulting him.
In the process, a certain woman among the task force forcefully seized the mobile phone belonging to the journalist and damaged the screen.
In all. – total of 20 protesters were arrested including the journalist and detained at the Utako divisional Police Station.
For about four hours during his stay at the police station, he could not reach out to his office, family members or anyone as his seized phone had not been released to him.
When his damaged phone was eventually returned to him, he was forced to delete all the pictures and videos of the protest.
Narrating his ordeal after his release, Mr Tsa stated;
“I arrived at the scene of the office of Development Control when the protesters had already gained entrance into the premises with their placards.
” So I stood by the entrance gate and began to take pictures and videos of the protest when I noticed that staff had come out to address the protesters.
“I then moved in to record his voice.
However, the place became rowdy when the protesters started demanding for his name and designation before they could give him an audience.
“When I noticed this unpleasant development, I started walking out of the premises only for some staff of the Development Control to block me and direct the security men manning the post to lock the gate.
” I pointed to my staff identity card that was hanging on my neck and told them I was a journalist and that I should be allowed to go out.
They held me by the trousers and started assaulting me saying I was not going to leave the premises.
It was when this was going on that members of the FCT Task Force arrived at the scene and descended on me and other protesters.
“I was manhandled, assaulted, and hauled into a police Hilux and taken to Utako.
“At the Utako police station, we were dumped behind the counter and were later summoned by the Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Victor Godfrey, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), who told us he was going to charge us for an offence of conspiracy, unlawful assembly, and violent protest.
” I told the DPO that I was a journalist and not part of the protesters. That I only went to cover the protest.
After the introduction, a lady who was with the DPO introduced herself as the Public Relations Officer of the Abuja Development Control and demanded I show her my staff identity card which I did.
She thereafter told the DPO to release me as I was only at their premises for coverage.
However, the DPO instructed that I should go and put that in a statement and return to his office for my release.
But what had appeared like a simple walk to freedom for me was the beginning of a long day that climaxed with my being thrown into the cell.
“While at the station, I kept complaining to the DPO that I urgently needed some treatment for the pains and injuries sustained during the assault on me.
On each occasion, he kept telling me that he had to get directives before he could release me.
It took the intervention of his office, the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Abuja chapter, and the National Association of Judiciary Correspondence (NAJUC) to secure my release from the station. This was after over seven grueling and painful hours.