Bunmi Adigun, the Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Ogun State Council, and a correspondent for Ogun State Television, was subjected to a distressing ordeal at the 66th Birthday and Chieftaincy title conferment ceremony of Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke.
The event, held at Oke Ata, Joga Orile, was meant to be a celebratory occasion, but it turned into a harrowing experience for Adigun and other journalists present.
Narrating the story Adigun said " I covered the 66th Birthday and Conferment of Chieftaincy title on the Govenor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke by Oba Adeyemi Adekeye, Abepa of Joga Orile as the Baba Oba
"A colorful event which attracted so many dignatries from with the state and outside but majorly from Osun State maybe.
"I was there to cover the event for my station which duly paid for, so if not for this I have no business and I won't even near Oke Ata not to talk of Joga Orile
"The Governor was amiable but all the Security details were unruly, they started behaving anyhow immediately their Governor arrived, pushing and harassing every Journalists, even those who came with other special Guests from Osun State
"They pushed my Cameraman and other camera men, thought that was enough until they got to where we were standing, I was harassed, embarrassed and they nearly tore my cloth. We dragged as you can see in this video taken by one of us who disguised
"It was so tough as if it was a campaign gathering, a social gathering it was and one could imagine how it would have been in Osun State
"I tried to get to those who harassed us, then I noticed they were putting on a different uniform from the normal police uniform we all know, bellaruslike, no name tag, they were on nosemask and holding petal like they were sent to Journalists
"I was manhandled and roughened and imagined what will happen to those without tags and any means of identification at an event of such.
"Still not feeling fine but I need to drop this for the world to know how the so called Police who are attached to Special Nigerians behave at times."