Hardship: Soldiers arrest Galaxy TV Bureau Chief in Delta,cameraman flee

Soldiers from the Nigerian Army 3 Battalion in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta in the early hours of today arrested and handcuffed the South-South Bureau Chief of Galaxy Television, Mr. Dele Fasan for taking video clips during a planned protest against the economic hardship in the Country.

The soldiers allegedly brutalized and hit the journalist with butt of the guns at the DSC roundabout in Effurun.

He was seriously manhandled to the point that his cameraman fled the scene from being arrested,DAILY POST can report.

Mr. Fasan was arrested in the presence of the Police led by a Deputy Commissioner of Police, DC Operations,Aina Adesola.

Mr. Fasan was however released after the Police boss and his colleagues from Independent Television &Radio, Mr. Gbenga Ahmed and Mr. Matthew Omonigho, DAILY POST Correspondent intervened and appealed to the Army Commander, Major AE Ohegbe ordered his release and the handcuff pulled off.

Also at the scene, the Soldiers also whisked a human right activist, Comrade Israel Joe to the barracks for reasons not clear at press time after there was a rift between him and other human right activists, Kelvin Ejumudo and others.

In a chat with Our Correspondent, Galaxy Television South-South Bureau Chief, Mr. Dele Fasan confirmed his arrest.

He said he was trying to get video clips of the protest scene which was already taken over by Security Operatives when the overzealous soldiers accosted and manhandled him despite identifying himself by bring out his identity card which he showed to them.

Mr. Fasan commended the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, DCP Aina Adesola who promptly intervened in the matter.

According to him,”The military were not civil at all during the protest. But the Police led by DCP Aina Adesola, the Navy, the DSS and NSCDC operatives were civil as they all intervened and he was released.”

Mr. Fasan the Army Commander, Major Ahegbe later apologized to him pointing out that the ugly act had already been done.

National Secretary of Human Right Protection Congress, Comrade Kelvin Ejumudo said the Civil Society Organisations,CSO’s came out to ensure that the protest did not hold following the threat across the nation.

“We don’t want any protest at all because when it happens, people will loose their properties. People will loose their monies.”

He noted that while they were at the protest venue,”We have the proponent(Israel Joe) of the protest for selfish reasons came here and we had a one on one rift and he had been taken away by security operatives.”

He said,”I will not condone any idea of protest in this state because at the moment, Nigeria is volatile.”

He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all the thirty six(36) State Governors with the local government chairmen to as a matter of urgency tackle the hunger in the land.

“Nigerians don’t want food. We want employment, we want our refineries to be functional, we want to produce what we can sell.”

The Chairman Board of Trustees of Citizens Rights Enhancement Initiative, Comrade Edewor Egedegbe in a chat with newsmen commended the security operatives in their approach at managing the situation in the Country.

While noting that there’s hunger in the land, Egedegbe, a cleric said,”you cannot cure hunger with further inflicting harm on innocent citizens.”

According to him,”What the Police, the military have done to ensure that there’s no breakdown of law and order is very much in order.

“For some of us, we have said the time is not ripe for any protest that can snowball not a major crisis.

“There’s a crisis of hunger already and the government are slowing their best. Although, we believe that their best is not good enough. We are asking them I do more because there’s truly hunger in the land. For the law enforcement agents o ensure very well. Those who wanted to protest have also gone back.”

The Deputy Commissioner of Police,Operations, DCP Aina Adesola said he was sent to the scene by the Commissioner of Police to maintain peace.

While noting that everywhere is peaceful, DCP Adesola said citizens are going about their normal businesses without any hindrances.

“There’s no problem. Residents should come out enmass and to their different place of work. Nobody will molest them.

“The civil societies, they’ve rallied round the police and the Army. We are in ground and there’s no problem.”

Meanwhile, the protest could not hold as it was cancelled after critical stakeholders met and discussed over the issues last night.