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Brutality Against Journalists: Borrow A Leaf From Saner Climes, Security Agencies Urged

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The Nigeria Police and other security agencies in the country have been urged to borrow a leaf from saner climes by desisting from harassing and brutalising journalists in the course of carrying out their lawful duties.

Secretary of 2019 Press Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, Mr. Uyi Osaretin, made the appeal in an exclusive interview with Info Daily, Thursday, shortly after a procession/walk against violent crime in Benin City and Nigeria at large.

The procession/walk tagged: ‘walk against violent crime’, was part of activities to mark the 2019 Press Week in the Council with the general theme: ‘Nigeria’s Economic & Security Challenges: The Way Out.’

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Uyi said journalists decided to take a walk against police brutality against journalists, kidnapping, thuggery, cultism and violent crime in our society, which according to him have been rampant.

“So, any act of violent against members of the society, journalists, we walk against it and we took the walk to the Ministry of Communication and Orientation“, he added.

Speaking further on police and other security agencies brutality against journalists, suggested that the policing in the country should be more of civil and more friendly as they (police) proffess.

He said, “They should try as much as possible not to be violent against the persons they profess to protect partucularly journalist. Let them not brutalised journalists just because they are acting the script of whosoever they are walking for.”

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Members of the NUJ in a procession against violent on Thursday in Benin City. Photo credit: Info Daily

Uyi recommended the government passed a bill that protect journalists and other members of the society against brutality.

We even want a situation the government of the day will do a bill that will tend to protect journalists against brutality. If that, which of course the campaigns have been on, we just decided to re-echo it by taking a walk”, he said.

Earlier, Chairman of the Council, Sir Roland Osakue, while leading members of the Union in the walk, said it was a signal to outsider that journalists in the state are against all sorts of violence in the state and Nigeria at large.

He noted that cultism, kidnapping, land speculation, armed robbery, thuggery are alien to our society and journalists are against such.

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Soldiers Allegedly Torture Poly Student To Death Over Allegation Of Cultism

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Terhile Timothy Achinya, a mechanical engineering student with the Isa Mustapha Agwai l Polytechnic Lafia, was allegedly beaten to death by yet-to-be-identified military men.

The news of the death of Achinya has sparked outrage within and around the Polytechnic community, however, the Acting Rector of the institution, Dr. Nurudeen Mu’azu Maifata has called for calm.

The Students Union Government, President of the Isa Mustapha Agwai l Polytechnic Lafia, Comr. Jacob John Mutuwa narrated the situation leading to the death of the student.

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“It all started when a student named Samuel Ejembi informed some military men in Lafia of some students who are alleged to be involved in cult activities. the soldiers searched and picked up some of the accused students at Eji World, an entertainment centre opposite the Poly campus.”

The president explained that both the informant and the accused were picked up and taken into custody by the military on Friday last week.

Mutuwa disclosed however that Achinya died while undergoing interrogations and torture by the military men and the corpse was deposited at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia.

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Mutuwa expressed sadness over the unfortunate death, lamenting that if the management of the institution had allowed students to use the student accommodation built by former governor Tanko Almakura, things like this would not have occurred.

READ ALSO: Flood: Health Minister, Pate Provides Medical Outreach To Displaced People

The Union president commended the students for taking a calm position despite the tragic death of a fellow student.

He assured that legal action had been instituted against the killers and called for calm.

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Also reacting, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called for prompt action to bring the perpetrators to book.

Coordinator, NANS Zone C, Comr. Daniel Friday Egga appreciated the action taken by the Management and SUG Leadership of the institution in addressing the matter.

Daniel called on the government and well-meaning individuals to join hands in seeking justice for the victim and his family.

NANS, however, alleged that the soldiers who were attached to the 123 Special Force Battalion were the ones responsible for the killing and urged military authorities to take immediate action.

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Accident involving Edo APC Campaign Convoy Claims Five lives

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A campaign convoy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was involved in a fatal accident on Thursday, resulting in the death of five persons.

The incident occurred along the Warrake-Afuze Road in Owan East local government area when a heavy truck fitted with musical and sound systems collided with an oncoming car.

The driver of the car, Emmanuel Edionwe, and four other occupants died on the spot, while the fifth victim was rushed to the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in critical condition.

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An eyewitness reported that the campaign convoy was negotiating a bend when the accident occurred.

READ ALSO: Tragedy In Edo, Many Feared Dead As Commercial Bus Plunged Into Ovia River

The deceased were returning from a funeral ceremony when they met their death, leaving their families traumatized and devastated. The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the Edo State University, Uzairue Mortuary in Etsako West Local Government Area.

A relative of Edionwe expressed devastation, describing him as a good and easy-going person who. The family source explained that Edionwe died at the Irrua Specialist Hospital, where he was transferred.

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The Edo State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, was contacted but did not provide a confirmation of the accident.

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Tragedy In Edo, Many Feared Dead As Commercial Bus Plunged Into Ovia River

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The Edo State Sector Command of the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) said that it had rescued six persons, while two other corpses were recovered from a commercial bus that plunged into the Ovia River in the state on Thursday evening.

Mr Cyril Mathew, Edo Sector Commander, FRSC, said six persons were rescued, two bodies were recovered dead while

Mathew, who said more passengers were still trapped inside the river, added that divers had been contacted to recover the passengers trapped in the river.

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He said FRSC began the rescue mission on Thursday and had continued to Friday.

According to him, “Six people were rescued, while one was recovered dead yesterday. Another body was recovered today.

“Unfortunately, the chances of survival of the remaining passengers in the river are slim, given that the accident occurred yesterday evening.

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“We have engaged divers to help recover the bodies, but negotiations are ongoing. “The divers are asking for N2 million to carry out the recovery,” he said.

READ ALSO: UK Releases Thousands Of Prisoners To Ease Overcrowding

He said the accident occurred at about 4:20 pm on Thursday when a bus travelling from Lagos and heading to Port Harcourt veered off the highway and plunged into the river.

He said “According to passengers who survived the crash, the driver lost control of the bus after experiencing brake failure.

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“In a desperate attempt to avoid colliding with vehicles in front, the driver veered into the opposite lane, leaving the Ore-Benin-Lagos route and crossing over to the Benin-Ore road.

“However, due to the speed of the vehicle, the driver was unable to regain control, causing the bus to hit a pavement and plunge into the river.”

 

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