A journalist with Lafia-based Breeze FM, in Nasarawa State, Edwin Philip was physically brutalised by operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), on Saturday.
Mr Philip was covering the Governorship and State House Assembly election in Nasarawa State when he was beaten by the NSCDC personnel
The journalist said he was beaten by the NSCDC personnel when he was performing his constitutional and legitimate role on an election day.
He said he was assaulted and brutalised while reporting election proceeding live to his station, Breeze FM situation room.
This, he said, was after he got a call that voters at polling unit 061, Chiroma ward, Lafia East, were asked to come back to vote after being accredited, which contravened the new electoral law.
“On reaching the venue, I was told by the electorate that they were told to be accredited and go back home to return by 2:30pm, while their fingers are dotted by ink, symbolising that they have voted.
“On sighting Ibrahim Abdullahi, (Adon Garin) Chief of staff to Emir of Lafia, I moved away from the polling unit as he became violent and started beating up some electorate.
“All of a sudden, he disappeared from the polling unit only to reappear with an NSCDC personnel and ordered them to beat me up and take me away.
“They beat me and left a deep cut on my head and swollen body,” he narrated.
Phillip said that the personnel seized his wrist watch, fez cap and his mobile phone and later returned his mobile phone to him, adding that he had reported the matter to NSCDC Nasarawa Command as well as the police command in the state.
The NSCDC Nasarawa State Command Public Relation Officer, Mr Victor Jerry, who confirmed the attack against newsmen in Lafia, however, said the operatives came from another state he didn’t identify state.
He said the command would investigate to fish out whoever was behind the attack to bring them to book.
