The police on Monday arrested Victor Ogungbenro, a video editor and cameraman with SaharaReporters sand eight others at the RevolutionNow protest in Lagos State.
The journalist and eight others were taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos State.
A colleague of Ogungbenro, who witnessed the arrest, told SaharaReporters that the video editor was not allowed to identify himself before he was dragged away by armed security officials.
The young lady, who is not named for security reasons, said, “We kept telling them that he is with SaharaReporters but instead that worsened the case and made them take him away.
“They did not allow him to identify himself. He was beaten and dragged on the floor while being taken away.”
Also in Cross River, correspondent of The Nation Newspaper, Nicholas Kalu, was been arrested by the police.
According to reports, he was picked up in Calabar while covering the nationwide ‘RevolutionNow’ protest.
Two other protesters were also allegedly whisked away along with Kalu from the Cultural Centre muster point opposite the Etim Edem Motor Park to the state Police Command Headquarters at Diamond Hill in Calabar.
There was heavy security presence in Calabar, the state capital ahead of the planned protest.
As of the time of this report, it was gathered that efforts were being made by lawyers to bail Kalu as efforts to reach him through several phone calls proved futile.
The Chairman of the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Mr Victor Udu, condemned Kalu’s arrest.
“I condemn the act totally. The journalist was just doing his job. He did not go there with any weapon.
“He went there with his jotter and pen. We call for his immediate, unconditional release,” Udu said.
When contacted, the Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Ugbo, said: “I’m not on the ground. I have been receiving calls that Nicholas was arrested. I’m not around. I will get back to you.”