A controversy has erupted in Ebonyi State following claims that the Commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, Professor Paul Awo Nwobasi, directed members of the state’s Neighbourhood Watch to assault a journalist during an official assignment on Thursday.
The victim, Aliuna Godwin, an editor with The Nations News Nigeria and correspondent for Daily Asset newspaper, said he was attacked while attempting to cover a ministry event at the Old Government House in Abakaliki. He said journalists had arrived for a scheduled meeting on a community leadership dispute when the commissioner sighted him and ordered security personnel to remove him from the hall.
Aliuna said he refused to leave because he had been invited into the venue by an aide. He alleged that several Neighbourhood Watch operatives dragged him to the floor and beat him repeatedly until other journalists intervened. He described the experience as humiliating and dangerous, saying the attack had no justification and amounted to an assault on press freedom.
He said he had never provoked the commissioner, noting that journalists in the state maintain a cordial relationship with the government. He called on Governor Francis Nwifuru, civil society organisations and media bodies to intervene and ensure accountability. He also appealed to the public to condemn what he called an attack on the independence of the press.
Read Also:
- Don urges journalists to fight against societal injustice, inequality
- Governor Abba Yusuf reaffirms commitment to press freedom, journalists’ welfare in Kano
- SWAN to honour veteran sports journalists at 60th anniversary celebration in Abuja
In his response, Professor Nwobasi denied issuing any directive against the journalist. He suggested that Aliuna’s account of events might stem from past disagreements, recalling a previous incident in the Ministry of Education in which he claimed the journalist published inaccurate information about him. Sources familiar with the situation said the clash may have been fuelled by lingering animosity.
The injured journalist is receiving treatment at a hospital in Abakaliki. The incident has sparked concern among media practitioners, many of whom say the attack raises troubling questions about the safety of journalists covering government activities in the state.
