A journalist with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Reporter, Joy Odigie investigating alleged burglary incident that occured at the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) Complex in Edo State has been assaulted by some personnel of the Service.
Odigie was visited the NIS Command to interview its Public Relations Officer, Ake Kenneth on Wednesday over alleged vandalism by hoodlums that invaded the Command.
The vandalized offices including the border Unit, Technical Section and the National Identification Number (NIN) were burgled by hoodlums, according to a dependable source.
TheNewspad recalls that some hoodlums, it was learnt vandalised some electrical cable and equipment in the offices over the weekend and carted away some items including undisclosed cash sum kept in a safe.
The source said one of the perpetrators was apprehended by some officers on duty on Monday.
But when the female journalist visited the Command, the officers, who were at the reception, queried her mission at the Command.
“I have passed through the security men in front of the office, when I heard some officers saying excuse me, excuse me.
“I was already on the staircase, but when I realised that I was the person being called, I came down from the staircase.
“I told them that I was a journalist and wanted to see the PRO and one of them answered that he knew I was a journalist and started shouting that he wanted to search me, that I could be carrying a bomb.
“I told him that since he knew that I was a journalist, he should allow me go and see the PRO rather than embarrass me.
“He said that I should meet an officer to educate me. When it was becoming more embarrassing, I told him I wasn’t going to meet the officer.
“By this time, more officers came to the scene and a female officer said “oga is calling you and I asked for the name of the oga.
“Surprisingly, the lady replied ‘you are disrespecting my oga, you this stupid albino’, a derogatory and discriminatory words for person with albinism,” Odigie narrated.
When the journalist told the officer she was stupid for that word, other officers reportedly descended on her and confiscated her belongings.
“One of the officers with a gun dragged me by the arm and pulled me outside the office. The umbrella I was holding fell from my hand and was collected by an officer.
“I left the office and put a call across to the PRO of the service, who then came to my rescue and he asked that my umbrella be given back to me,” said Odigie, who was visibly troubled said.
Contacted, the Public Relations officer of the NIS Command apologized, saying he had extended same gesture to the journalist.
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