NUJ Calls for CP’s Removal as Police Shoot Journalist, Student in Osun

Yinka Kolawole

Pandemonium broke out yesterday morning as detectives of Osun State Police Command again shot The Nation’s correspondent in Osun State, Mr. Adedeji Toba, and one public school student whose identity had yet to be known as of the time of this publication.

The journalist was shot by the trigger-happy police officers who were trying to disperse some protesting youths who stormed the popular Olaiya flyover in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

The Osun State correspondent of The Nation Newspapers and one unidentified female student were shot in the leg by the Nigeria Police Force during shoot on sight with protesters in Osogbo. The other person was shot in the thigh.

However, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osun State Council, has demanded immediate redeployment of Osun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olawale Olokode, for the shooting of its member by men of the state command.

A statement by the Chairman of the Council, Mr. Wasiu Ajadosu, and Secretary, Mr. Bukola Elufadejin, gave the echelon of the police seven days’ ultimatum to redeploy Olokode, on the grounds of gross indiscipline and unprofessional conduct of the men and officers of the command under his supervision. The statement further called on Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, to take this urgent step in order to save the state from incessant unrests and crises due to lackadaisical approach to sensitive issues of security by the leadership of the command.

The statement described the action of the officers of the command as unfortunate, barbaric, uncivilsed and demeaning, especially in a democratic environment where citizens possess the rights to ventilate their grievances through
protest.

The union noted that it would no longer condone harassment, intimidation of its members, saying that over five members of the union had been attacked by the police in the last three months.

 Toba was shot while covering protest by members of family of a boy who was killed in cold blood by policemen in the state in April this year.