Soldiers seize journalist camera, torture protesters in Abuja

 

Endsars protesters who stormed the National Assembly to register their grievances against the special unit of the police to the leadership yesterday had a raw deal in the hands of soldiers deployed to the area.

Also yesterday, the Inspector-General of Police, Adamu Muhammed, announced the setting up of a new Special Weapons and Tactics Team, SWAT, to replace the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.

These came on a day the protests spread to Port Harcourt in Rivers State; Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo and Ondo states, continued in Ibadan, Oyo State, even as it escalated in Lagos and Kaduna states.

The protest in the Rivers State capital, Port Harcourt, was particularly triggered by the governor, Nyesom Wike, who banned any such protest in his state.

The protest in Abuja, which entered its sixth day, started as a peaceful demonstration, as the protesters marched to the National Assembly to register their complaints against SARS and the need for reformation of the police force before the leadership.

Exactly one kilometre to the NASS complex, the #EndSARS protesters ran into a military road block, chanting solidarity songs.

They were stopped by the soldiers at the same point mobile policemen sprayed them with water cannon last weekend.

As the protesters continued their rendition of the National Anthem, the soldiers asked them to retreat but they insisted on seeing principal officers of the National Assembly.

An argument ensued between both parties, following which the soldiers descended on  two Arise Television cameramen and the protesters.

The soldiers hijacked one of the cameras, arrested the cameraman and used the butt of their rifles to attack the protesters, including journalists in their midst.

As the camera was seized, the the Arise TV reporter dissolved into the protesters and continued his reportage of the incident.

Consequently, only his voice was heard on air without visuals, as the camera had already been seized by the soldiers.

The females among the protesters could be heard screaming in the background of the report. It was later learned that the soldiers used tree branches to flog the protesters.

After about 40 minutes of the melee, the camera was returned to the crew of the television station but the soldiers stood their ground, insisting that the protesters would not enter the NASS complex.