By Ayo Kehinde
The Photojournalists Association of Nigeria has condemned the inhuman treatment meted on its member, Mr Olukayode Jaiyeola, during a protest by the #RevolutionNow movement at Maryland, Lagos on Thursday.
Olukayode Jaiyeola, with The PUNCH was on his legitimate duty when the police attacked and injured him with a baton while covering the protest. The assault left him bleeding profusely.
The chairman of PJAN, Mr Abiodun Ajala, in a statement said that the attack ” has become one incident too many on the part of the police who often attacked members of the forth estate of the realm during protests,” and urged the police authority to call to order its officers deployed for civil duties.
He said; ” The role of the media is to gather and report events in a public space. Why must an identified journalist be treated in such an animalistic manner. Even a criminal is given fair hearing until proven guilty in the court of law.
He urged the The Nigeria Police Force to embrace tenets of the new Police Act signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari and weed out the bad eggs amongst them.
” On September 16th, 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law a new Police Act 2020 to replace the old Police Act 2020 which its key amendments is to do among other things enhance professionalism in the police, he said and added,
“In the section 37 of the Act 2020, it states ‘A suspect shall be accorded humane treatment and shall not be subjected to torture, cruelty, inhumane or degrading treatment.’
He said members of PJAN would continue to be law abiding citizens as long as the respect is mutual, adding “that members are ready to down tool as a form of protest next time attack happens again.”
