Four journalists were on Monday morning attacked by
suspected hoodlums during a protest by some youths in Ilesa against the
disconnection of power supply in Ijesa zone of Osun State community by the
management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) over assault on
its staff.
The aggrieved youths had last Sunday staged a
protest in the ancient community.
At the protest yesterday morning, the aggrieved
youths who had earlier stormed the major streets in the town, barricaded the
roads and prevented vehicular movement.
The protesters, on sighting the journalists who
were at the scene to cover the protest, lost anger and descended on them.
The irate youths, who were said to have armed with cudgels,
cutlass and other dangerous weapons, attacked the journalists with their
cameras damaged beyond repair.
Among the journalists attacked were Rafiu Muhammad
of the TVC and his cameraman, Taiwo Adu;
Channels TV reporter, Shittu Abdulfatai and his cameraman.
It was further gathered that the protesting youths
also damaged the vehicle of Uniq F. M. and Freedom Television in Ilesa.
It was reported that the protesting youths damaged
the car of the General Manager of Uniq F. M. and Freedom Television and
destroyed the station cameras.
The organisation therefore urged the Nigerian
Police and other security operatives to intervene so as to bring normalcy to
the current situation.
Meanwhile, the authorities of Uniq FM and Freedom
TV in Ilesa had directed the station to shut down for three hours for the
protest to subside.
As at the time of filling this report, the wounded
journalists were receiving treatment at the Ladoke Akintola Teaching Hospital LAUTECH
in Osogbo.
However, the state government has concluded the
arrangement to settle the hospital bills of those injured.
The Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Adeniyi Adesina, who visited the hospital to
sympathise with the victims, decried the attack, promising that the state
government would offset treatment bill.
Also, some youths in Olomilagbala and Bolorunduro
communities of Obokun Local Government Area of the state were said to have
attacked Ilesa business hub of IBEDC on March 14, and beat up the staff of the
company.
Meanwhile, the state High Court in Ilesa, Osun State, has
directed the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to restore
electricity to Ilesa and its environs.
In his ruling yesterday, Justice A. L. Adegoke directed the
IBEDC to restore the electricity with immediate effect.
Justice Adegoke stated that the decision of the electricity
distribution company to throw the entire Ijesaland into darkness was an
illegality.
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