Nigeria’s growing hostility toward the press took another dark turn as Agence France-Presse (AFP) confirmed the detention and assault of its video journalist, John Okunyomih, by the Nigerian Police in Abuja. The incident occurred on Monday outside the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, where journalists had gathered to cover anticipated protests.
According to AFP, Okunyomih was filming when police fired teargas at journalists before violently arresting him. Officers reportedly damaged his camera, seized his phone, and forced him into their vehicle. He was later taken to police headquarters and held for about an hour before being released without charge.
Eyewitnesses and local reports say the police treated Okunyomih brutally, manhandling him and destroying his equipment in the process. The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) condemned the assault, describing it as “a gross violation of press freedom and an affront to democratic principles.”
Okunyomih told reporters after his release, “They damaged my camera, seized my mobile phone, and forcefully removed my gas mask. It took the intervention of my office before I was released.”
This marks yet another case of the Nigerian Police targeting journalists covering civil unrest, particularly protests demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The repeated pattern of arrests and harassment reveals a disturbing trend — a government more interested in silencing coverage than addressing the grievances that fuel public outrage.
Nigeria continues to project itself as a democracy, but scenes like this expose the deep rot within its policing and political systems, where truth-tellers are treated like criminals and impunity reigns unchecked.
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