“I was invited by one of my colleagues to cover a protest at the APC Secretariat. On getting to the scene, one Muhammed Kudu called me and said he asked them to invite me for a purpose. I demanded for the purpose but he refused to tell me and said I will know later.
“He later called some thugs and discussed with them who ran to me and started shouting, saying that I was the one who wrote a story about Abdullahi Yaman that he decamped. I asked them which story but they could not say anything but instead invited other thugs and Yaman’s supporters who had come for the rally and started beating me”.
Suspected political thugs, loyal to one of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirants in Kwara state, physically attacked a chief correspondent of the Daily Trust Newspaper, Mrs. Romoke W. Ahmad, on Thursday in Ilorin over allegation of bad publicity against their principal.
The incident, which reportedly happened at the APC party secretariat located along Murtala Mohammed Way, Ilorin saw the journalist, who had gone there to cover a protest rally, being beaten by the hoodlums, losing some of her valuables in the incident.
It was gathered that it took intervention of her colleagues and law enforcement agents at the scene to ensure safety of the journalists as the political thugs allegedly aimed to inflict severe injury in her.
Narrating her experience, Mrs. Ahmad said the thugs allegedly acted on the instruction given to them by the brother to the governorship aspirant one Muhammed Kudu, who was at the scene.
The female journalist, who said that she was deceived to attend and cover the rally organised by the Abdullahi Yaman support Group, added that Kudu was earlier seen discussing with the thugs and pointing at her before the incident.
“I was invited by one of my colleagues to cover a protest at the APC Secretariat. On getting to the scene, one Muhammed Kudu called me and said he asked them to invite me for a purpose. I demanded for the purpose but he refused to tell me and said I will know later.
“He later called some thugs and discussed with them who ran to me and started shouting, saying that I was the one who wrote a story about Abdullahi Yaman that he decamped. I asked them which story but they could not say anything but instead invited other thugs and Yaman’s supporters who had come for the rally and started beating me.
“They spoilt everything on me while the thugs went to my car to take note of my vehicle number and threatened to deal with me mercilessly”, she said.
Mrs. Ahmad said she had lodged a complaint at the Kwara state police command and wrote a petition against the governorship aspirant and his brother, Kudu over threat to her life, her children and her property.
“I expect the police to summon Yaman, his brother Kudu and his thugs to give explanation for their actions and also sign an undertaking that nothing will harm me, my kids and property,” she said.
It is recalled that some political thugs, suspected to be members of All Progressives Congress (APC) last Saturday attacked broadcast journalists covering the governorship primaries of the party in the state.
Those affected in last Saturday attack by the hoodlums include Correspondents of TVC News, Channels, AIT, Core TV and their cameramen in the state.
The incident, which reportedly happened at Oko-Erin ward located at Ilorin Grammar School, saw the journalists being beaten to a pulp while their cameras were nearly damaged by the suspected hoodlums.
The journalists had to run for their dear lives as the suspected hoodlums ran after them during the incident.
The suspected hoodlums were said to be against the presence of journalist in view of the manner they were allegedly collecting money from the aspirants that were taking part in the primary before they can queue behind any one of them.
However, it took the intervention of some good samaritans at the venue of the primary before the affected journalists could escape from the scene.
Contacted, the state police command Public Relations Officer(PPRO) Ajayi Okasanmi decried the attack on journalists by the suspected hoodlums in the state.
He however said that, the command would beef up security in the state to avoid any attack on well meaning people of the state.
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