Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun State council, has directed its members to stop coverage of activities of the state police command following its “unremorseful statement over the shooting of The Nation correspondent, Toba Adedeji.”
A statement by the chairman of the union, Comrade Wasiu Ajadosu and secretary, Comrade Bukola Elufadejin, condemned the “impenitent statement made by the command,” saying the import of the statement did not indicate any regret over the barbaric act.
The Union added that the command’s statement was not better than a threat to journalists in the state, even as it failed to mention that the policeman who shot Toba Adedeji would be identified, arrested and prosecuted, meaning that since Toba is hale and hearty the officer no longer committed any crime.
The statement noted that the Union would not rest on its laurel until justice is served in Toba Adedeji’s case and maintained its stance over immediate redeployment of the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Olawale Olokode.
The Union insisted that it could no longer condole gross indiscipline of men and officers of the command under the supervision of the State Commissioner of police under whose watch not less than four lawful citizens of the state had been allegedly killed by officers of the Command in the last three months.
The statement, therefore, called on Journalists in the State to remain resolute as the Union would do everything that is constitutional possible to seek justice for the affected Journalist.
It would be recalled that the Correspondent of Nation Newspaper, Toba Adedeji, was shot on Tuesday while covering a protest over the alleged killing of Abiola Afolabi by officers of Nigeria police, Osun state command.