Magistrate orders arrest, beating of journalists

[MrVan]

By Abdulwahab  Abdulah  & Onozure Dania

LAGOS — Judiciary correspondents attached to the Ikeja division of the state High Court yesterday had a raw deal in the hands of policemen from the Area 'F' Ikeja and court officials who arrested and beat them mercilessly on the orders of a magistrate for allegedly flouting her directive not to report proceedings in her court.

It took the intervention of some senior members of the Bar including the former Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Deacon Dele Adesina, SAN,  Mr. Sebastine Hon, SAN, the chairman of the Ikeja Bar, Mr. Adebamigbe Omole, the Chief Registrar of the court, Mr. Gafaru Safari and the Area Commander, Area 'F' before the journalists could regain their freedom after they were arrested and kept in custody for about two hours.

The crisis started when a female police officer simply identified as Rose attached to Magistrate court No 6 presided over by Magistrate A. A. Osoniyi ordered the journalists who were at the court to cover a judgment of the Coroner inquest into the multiple vehicle accidents around Berger Bridge, along Ibadan express way almost two years ago to leave the court premises.

Hot argument ensued between the female police officer and journalists when she arrogantly shouted at them to leave the court, a situation that drew the attention of the Magistrate who was resting in her chambers.

However,  the presiding Magistrate, who said she gave instruction to bar journalists from coming to her court because she presides over juvenile court ordered the arrest of the newsmen and seizure of a camera belonging to the crew of the Channels television.

The Magistrate said: "Do you know where you are at all? Oya, arrest them all. Go and lock up all of them!"

The journalists who were surprised by the action of the magistrate immediately initiated a call to the Chief Registrar to save the situation, but the matter got worse after the Magistrate and her orderly called for police reinforcement from the nearby Area  'F' Command who stormed the court located near the Muslim Pilgrims Board, in a commando manner and swooped on the journalists.

Immediately the Magistrate gave the order, a female police officer, Mariam Joseph, swooped on Wale Busari, a judicial correspondent with Silverbird Television, grabbed his clothes and was about dragging him away.

Instead of the police to request the journalists to follow them to the station, the policemen who were not less than seven started beating them. In the process, two journalists, Messrs. Adewale Busari and Wahab  Abdulah from the Silverbird television and the Vanguard respectively were injured and their clothes torn to shreds.

One of the police officers with the name tag, "Olalekan Ajayi", said "you are arguing with the police, we were called by the Magistrate, we have to obey her." Rather than listening to the newsmen who promised to follow them to the station they resorted to force.

Busari's arrest led other judicial staff in the area to clamp down on other journalists, including Francis Iwuchukwu of Peoples Daily, Henry Ojeluh of PM News/The News Magazine, Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare of the Nigerian Tribune, Solomon Asowata of the News Agency of Nigeria, Akinwale Akintunde of Thisday, Yetunde Ayobami-Ojo of the Guardian, Nurudeen Oyewole of Daily Trust, Shola Shoyele of Channels Television, Gbenga Shoyele of the Nigerian Compass, Ranti Thomas of the Moment Newspapers, Bisi Onanuga of the Nation, and Yemi Adebanjo of News Star Newspapers.

The judicial staff were supported by the police officers and swooped on journalists, beating them with gun butts and dragging them on the floor. 10 of the journalists were then bundled into a 14-seater police bus with number plate Lagos XJ 812 Epe.

"Because you are journalists does not make you to be above the law. I will deal with you mercilessly," Ajayi, the police officer raining punches on Wale Busari, shouted.

An unidentified superior of Ajayi also shouted, "use maximum force on him, he will come to his sense."

The journalists were then driven to the Area 'F' police command, where the beating continued as the police officers further unleashed their anger on the journalists, especially Wale Busari, alleging that the journalist rudely resisted arrest.

The matter eventually went before the Area Commander, who listened to the journalists and sought amicable settlement of the matter.

The journalists and their phones and camera seized were later released on the instruction of the commander.

 

Vanguard Nigeria