Armed personnel from the Air Force Base in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday assaulted Dare Olawin, a correspondent with PUNCH Newspapers, during a raid on the headquarters of the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC). The incident occurred around 7:40 am at the IKEDC office opposite MITV in Ikeja.
Olawin was at the IKEDC office to join other journalists for an event in Adiyan, Ogun State, where a solar project was scheduled to be unveiled. Journalists had gathered at the office to board a coaster bus that would take them to the event.
However, the situation took a violent turn when Air Force personnel stormed the premises. Olawin, alongside a TVC cameraman and another reporter, was reportedly beaten and forced to sit on the floor. The military men confiscated Olawin’s Android phone, a small Itel phone, and a white power bank, threatening to shoot him if he attempted to speak.
The Air Force personnel, led by a woman, took control of the IKEDC office for over an hour and a half, assaulting staff and others present. Roads leading to the office were blocked, allowing the military men to operate unchecked.
It was later revealed that the officers were at the IKEDC headquarters to protest the disconnection of electricity supply to their military base. They left the premises with IKEDC engineers and drivers, whom they reportedly intended to force into reconnecting power to their barracks.
The incident has sparked outrage over the treatment of journalists and civilians by military personnel. The assault on Olawin and the seizure of his belongings raise serious concerns about press freedom and the safety of journalists in Nigeria.
