A photojournalist of the Punch newspaper, Sodiq Adelakun, was on Friday brutalised by hoodlums in Lagos while covering a protest by the Joe Ajaero-led faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
The protest was held during the Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association’s Annual General Meeting at Alausa-Ikeja, Lagos.
An eyewitness, who did not want his name mentioned, informed our reporter that while Adelakun was being attacked some policemen and Department of State Services operatives failed to come to his aid.
Though it was gathered that the attack was carried out by hoodlums, who hijacked the protest at the NECA House in the glare of policemen and DSS personnel.
According to the eyewitness, the hoodlums attacked the protesters at the venue of the protest with guns, bottles and sticks.
Narrating his ordeal to WuzupNaija and other reporters after he was discharged from the hospital he was taken to for treatment, Adelakun said, “I ran with all my strength, but I was overtaken, beaten, punched and stabbed by the hoodlums. Infact, they took my camera, smartphones and wallet.
“They threatened to gun me down if I don’t cooperate in the presence of the DSS and policemen.”
An attempt to contact the Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command, SP Dolapo Badmos, did not yield success as she could not be reached on her cell phone.
Below is the photo of Adelakun after he was cleaned of blood stains he sustained on his head as a result of the hoodlums attack:
