The International Press Centre (IPC) has condemned in strong terms the alleged attack on the General Manager, JAMZ 100.1FM, Ibadan, Mr. Tony Awobode, by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Eleyele Police Station and his men.
The accident, according to reports, occured when Awobode, aka Don Tee, who was riding on a power bike, was stopped by the DPO on an allegation that his car mirror was hit by Awobode’s power bike while trying to cross towards the Aleshinloye axis.
IPC disclosed that efforts by Don Tee to explain that there was no mark or sign of friction on the side mirror led to further attacks on him.
Describing his ordeal in the hands of the Eleyele DPO, Don Tee stated that, “it was a case of arbitrary use of naked power”.
The Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade expressed shock over the reported police brutality against a media professional and the unending nightmares such acts continued to constitute for the media in Nigeria.
According to Arogundade, “The highhanded and uncivilised manner in which some elements in the Nigeria Police handle issues with journalists represents nothing but the continuing gross violation of their fundamental human rights.”
IPC demanded that all the perpetrators of the attack on Don Tee should be fished out and prosecuted, in addition to the payment of adequate compensation and settlement of the medical bills of the victim.
