ASSAULT ON JOURNALIST: LAGOS NUJ CALLS ON IG TO PROBE ERRANT OFFICER

Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists has decried in very strong terms, attempts by a section of the Nigerian Police to pervert justice, distort the facts, and stand the truth on its head in the on-going matter of battered Badagry-based Journalist, Otunba Yomi Olomofe.
In a statement issued in Ikeja yesterday by its Chairman, Deji Elumoye, Lagos NUJ drew the attention of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to the unwholesome and grossly unethical conduct of one Inspector Shaibu Aminu of the state State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), PANTI, who was the IPO in the matter of the criminal assault with intention to murder Olomofe on the 25th June, 2015 by Seme border hoodlums led by Suleimon Momoh. “Inspector Aminu, who inspite of being availed of every fact in the matter, all along, wilfully, under-investigated the crime committed against Olomofe, preferring to cooperate with the perpetrators of the criminal assault and their sponsors”.
The Union, therefore called on the Inspector General of Police to probe the untoward activities of the Inspector in recent times over the said matter.
According to the release, the NUJ is aware of concerted efforts to twist the facts, by the customs through attempts to compromise the police investigating Olomofe's complaint. “as we know Nigeria Customs Service will do anything to shield the criminals who were seen by members of the public even as the physical evil was being perpetrated on Olomofe in the presence of arms bearing customs officials.”.
"We will explore every constitutional means to fight this particular grave injustice. We will, as we have consistently done since the murderous attempt on the life of Olomofe avail the Nigerian Public of the facts in this matter till justice is served. Even in the light of the desperate, last minute attempt by officials of the Customs in concert with shady elements and, the Police, to trump up allegations that will not stand the test of rigorous scrutiny”
The statement added that Lagos NUJ on this one occasion will take every constitutional step to protect the dignity of its member, insisting that journalists be allowed to carry out their legitimate duties regardless of the tools of compromise, intimidation and harassment available to certain agencies of government.
Olomofe, it will be recalled, was beaten to coma in the precinct, at the behest and in the presence of senior Seme customs officials including Comptroller Ndalati, Deputy Comptroller Emmanuel Nkemdirim, armed junior officers of the customs, and, scores of onlookers on the 25th June 2015, by well known border hoodlums led by Suleimon Momoh and his gang are quite straight forward.