{"id":64834,"date":"2024-04-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southafricavoice.com\/?guid=e7a327fa84acdaa2d193668756ae1a6a"},"modified":"2024-04-20T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-04-20T00:00:00","slug":"ondo-apc-primary-commissioner-allegedly-assaults-nan-journalist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southafricavoice.com\/ondo-apc-primary-commissioner-allegedly-assaults-nan-journalist\/","title":{"rendered":"Ondo APC Primary: Commissioner allegedly assaults NAN journalist"},"content":{"rendered":"
\nThe Ondo State Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, on Saturday allegedly assaulted Mr Tayo Ikujuni, an Assistant Editor-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).<\/p>\n
The assault took place during the conduct of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in the state.<\/p>\n
It happened at Ward 9, Eji-Oba High School, Oba-Ile in Akure North Local Government Area of the state.<\/p>\n
Yusuf-Ogunleye, who confirmed to have harassed Ikujuni and collected his cell phone and threw it away, said ‘the journalist failed to produce his identity card when asked.<\/p>\n
Recalling the ordeal, Ikujuni said that the commissioner ordered some of his political thugs to seize his Samsung tablet.<\/p>\n
‘Trouble started at about 11:45 a.m., when I inquired if the electoral materials has arrived, since they have started counting.<\/p>\n
‘Immediately, Yusuf-Ogunleye shouted, ‘who are you. You’re a useless journalist. You’re a stupid journalist. Go away from here.<\/p>\n
‘He had to collect my Tecno phone and damaged my Samsung tablet
\nand my wrist watch.<\/p>\n
‘It was the quick intervention of some party chieftains and security personnel that rescued me from the midst of the commissioner’s violent looking thugs,’ Ikujuni said.<\/p>\n
Reacting, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo State Council, decried the attack and physical assault on Ikujuni by the commissioner.<\/p>\n
Its chairman, Mr Leke Adegbite, said the act was barbaric and unacceptable.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Adegbite said the action of the commissioner was uncivilised and called on Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa to immediately suspend Yusuf-Ogunleye and launch investigation into the incident.<\/p>\n
‘Ondo NUJ observes with sadness that Mr Yusuf-Ogunleye’s attitude to media professionals was unbecoming of a public office holder.<\/p>\n
‘We call on Mr Governor to place Mr Saka Ogunleye on indefinite suspension for his physical assault on a senior journalist like Tayo Ikujuni, who was performing his constitutional roles of monitoring the APC primary.<\/p>\n
‘We call on the commissioner to replace damaged handset of the jou
\nrnalist and tender unreserved apology to the victim and the media industry.<\/p>\n
‘We equally direct media houses and professionals to halt the coverage and activities of the commissioner until our demands are met.’<\/p>\n
Source: News Agency of Nigeria<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Ondo State Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, on Saturday allegedly assaulted Mr Tayo Ikujuni, an Assistant Editor-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).<\/p>\n
The assault took place during the conduct of the All Progressives …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n