Osinbajo’s Security Personnel Beat up Vanguard Photojournalist in Presidential Villa

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

The security aides of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo Thursday at the Presidential Villa, beat up Vanguard’s photojournalist, Mr. Abayomi Adesida, while covering an event attended by the vice president in the State House Conference Centre.

The episode occurred at the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit organised by Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), chaired by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa

Narrating his ordeal, in accordance with his professional duties in the State House, Adesida said he had attempted to take the photograph of Osinbajo who was on a tour of the exhibition stands at the event, when the security aides descended heavily on him.

According to him, he had opted to take the photograph of Osinbajo at one of the exhibition stands where he (Osinbajo) was being presented wth a copy of a magazine as a souvenir, when suddenly, five personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) attached to the vice president suddenly pounced on him.

He said the manner in which the security personnel descended on him was shocking as he was not in any way obstructing the movement or activities of the vice president, adding that the security details disregarded his Villa identification tag and hit him hard.

He further said the security personnel dragged him on the floor like a criminal and damaged his expensive camera which he bought at the rate of $5, 000.

Adesida who was lamenting the pains he was going through after the incident, said the situation would have been worse but for the intervention of the vice president’s Aide-de-Camp.

“I was shocked when these DSS men started beating me for no apparent reason. They tore off my Presidential Villa accreditation tag on the shirt and dragged me on the floor while hitting me and kicking me.

“I believe they would have done much worse if not for the intervention of the vice-president’s ADC who I noticed was making hand movements for them to leave me alone.

“I am feeling pains all over my body and a particular severe pain on my right leg on which I don’t even know what they hit me with,” he said.

The assailants were said to have cared very little about the embarrassment their untidy activities might cause the Vice president .

The episode was coming barely 24 hours after 35 aides of the vice president were reportedly sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari who is currently on a private visit to the United Kingdom.