The Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osun State Council, has criticised the Police in the state over the reported shooting of one its members, Toba Adedeji, and a female student by a personnel of the state command.
The union, in a statement issued by its Chairman, Wasiu Ajadosu; and Secretary, Bukola Elufadejin shortly after the incident; called for the immediate redeployment of the Commissioner of Police in the state, Olawale Olokode, over the alleged misconduct of one of his personnel.
Report had it that a trigger-happy-policeman fired a gunshot that hit Adedeji, the state correspondent of The Nation Newspaper and one other, during a protest on Tuesday.
Adedeji was said to have been shot on the leg while the female student, whose identity could not be immediately confirmed, was shot on the thigh.
Report had it that the duo had been rushed to the Emergency Unit of UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo for medicare.
A detachment of police personnel was said to have encountered an attack at the Olaiya Flyover area of Osogbo. The alleged police, whose identity had yet to be confirmed, reportedly fired the shot when the situation at the scene degenerated.
The attack on the journalist came barely a week after the Police reportedly beat up Yinka Adeniran, the correspondent of The Nation newspapers in Oyo State at the Governorship Primary of the Peoples Democratic Party held at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan last week Wednesday.
The statement by NUJ in the state, titled, ‘Policy brutality: Osun NUJ calls for immediate redeployment of CP Olokode,’ gave a seven-day-ultimatum within which the Police chief should be redeployed over the alleged unprofessional conduct of the men and officers of the command under his supervision.
The statement read that the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, should take urgent step in order to save the state from incessant crisis. Describing the action of the officers and men of the command as unfortunate, barbaric, uncivilized and demeaning, it stated that the union would no longer condone the harassment and intimidation of its members.
It state that “Over five members of the union had been attacked by the police in the last three months.
“The Nigeria Police today shot at a correspondent of The Nation Newspaper who was covering a protest by members of family of a boy who was killed in cold blood by policemen in the state in April this year.”
