IPC condemns attacks on journalists

The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos, has condemned in its entirety  the renewed wave of attacks on
journalists in different parts of the country.
  Bemoaning this fate in a statement recently in Lagos, the IPC Director Lanre Arogundade said that at least three journalists during the course of their legitimate duties have been assaulted in the last one week.
  He said, “Hir Joseph of Daily Trust was beaten by political thugs during the swearing-in ceremony of Governor Tanko Almakura in Lafia, Nasarawa State on May 29; Kamarudeen Ogundele of The Punch was beaten by political thugs in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State on June 3 and Victor Akinkuolie of Hope Newspaper was beaten by policemen in Ondo, Ondo State on June 2.”
  Arogundade said that the assault on the journalists was so violent that they had to be hospitalised following the injuries they suffered.
  He added that these incidents should be condemned by all lovers of freedom of expression and democracy since the rights of journalists to inquire into and report on the activities of the government including elected executives and legislators as well as state agents is protected by the Nigerian constitution which in section 22 enjoins the Nigerian media to monitor governance and hold government accountable to the people.
  "Journalists cannot exercise the rights if their lives continue to be endangered. So there should be an immediate halt to the ugly trend",he said.
  Advising all the affected journalists and their organisations to seek redress in the law court should the police fail to apprehend the culprits and charge them to court within 48 hrs, Arogundade added that the federal and state government as well as the law enforcement agencies should take immediate steps to halt the repeated harassment