Soldiers Battered Journalist, Left Him Bleeading, Vandalise Car In Ogun

Two soldiers on Wednesday in Abeokuta assaulted the Ogun State Correspondent of the Leadership newspaper, Mr. Kunle Olayeni, and vandalise his car.

Soldiers on patrol in Baga

The Leadership correspondent was brutalised by the soldiers and left bleeding in the mouth.

The soldiers, who tore the journalist’s shirt, also vandalise his Honda Accord car at the State Secretariat, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Journalists had gone to cover the special parade/laying of wreath by Governor Ibikunle Amosun to mark the 2014 edition of Armed Forces Remembrance Day and were on their way out of the venue when the incident occurred.

The journalists were on their way to the 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, where the ceremony was to be rounded off by the governor when Olayeni was attacked.

The irate military men, who drove in a private Peugeot car, marked Abuja AR 963 KWL, had attempted to overtake the reporter’s vehicle as they moved out of the venue of the ceremony.

The reporter, who was driving, was in company with three other colleagues - Mr. Wale Jokotoye (NAN), Mrs. Olayinka Olukoya (Nigerian Tribune) and Mr. Johnson Akinpelu (Alaroye).

The Army officer, who drove the car, claimed to be in convoy of a lorry conveying some soldiers.

His grievance was that the journalist’s car prevented his from going along with the convoy.

He jump down from his car and started raining insults on the journalists.

The attempt by the four journalists to explain that they did not know that the officer’s private car was part of the convoy, further infuriated the Army officer.

The officer, however, continued to rain invectives on the journalists, who told him that he had no right to insult them without justification.

Further angered by journalists’ response, the Army officer started hitting Olayeni’s car with his boots, inflicting severe dent on it.

He forced the door of the car open and dragged out the Leadership correspondent, punching him in the face several times in the presence of other Army personnel, including one Captain wearing a name tag, Pedro.

The case was subsequently reported at the Ibara Divisional Headquarters, Abeokuta.
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