Immigration officers assault female journalist in Edo

Officers suspected to be of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) have assaulted a female journalist working with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Joy Odigie, in Benin City, Edo State. It was gathered that the female journalists visited the Edo command of the service to interview its Public Relations Officer, Ake Kenneth, on the reported […]

Officers suspected to be of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) have assaulted a female journalist working with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Joy Odigie, in Benin City, Edo State.

It was gathered that the female journalists visited the Edo command of the service to interview its Public Relations Officer, Ake Kenneth, on the reported burglary at command’s offices.

Narrating her ordeal, the journalist, said, “I was already on the staircase, but when I realised that I was being called, I came down from the staircase.

“I told them that I was a journalist and wanted to see the PRO. One of them answered that he knew I was a journalist and started shouting that he wanted to search me, that I could be carrying a bomb.

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“I told him that since he knew that I was a journalist, he should allow me go and see the PRO rather than embarrass me. He said I should meet an officer to educate me. When it was becoming more embarrassing, I told him I wasn’t going to meet the officer. 

“By this time, more officers came to the scene and a female officer said, ‘Oga is calling you.’  I asked for the name of the oga.

“Surprisingly, the lady replied, ‘You are disrespecting my oga, you this stupid albino’.”

When the journalist told the officer she was stupid for that word, other officers reportedly descended on her and confiscated her belongings.

“One of the officers with a gun dragged me by the arm and pulled me outside the office and in the process, I suffered a dislocation in my shoulder.

“I left the office and put a call across to the PRO of the service, who then came to my rescue and he asked that my umbrella be given back to me,” she said.

When contacted, the PRO apologised, saying he had extended same to the journalist.