Journalists, Activists, Assaulted, Detained While Covering Protest In Cross River

On August 1, the very first day of the ten-day protest against bad governance in Nigeria, several journalists and activists were assaulted, handcuffed, and taken to an undisclosed location.

It would be recalled that the State government had held a series of sessions with different groups for many days dissuading people from coming up to protest.

It was climaxed yesterday with a press conference by the chairman of the ruling party in the State, APC, Alphonsus Eba insisting the party will conduct a solidarity march against the planned protest and would hand over anyone or persons found protesting against the government because it would amount to attempt to torpedo the state and federal governments.

The managing editor of an online newspaper, CrossRiverWatch in the State, Mr Jonathan Igbal was one of the known journalists arrested.

Those arrested were beaten up and dragged by security personnel into waiting buses and SUV cars to an undisclosed destination.

The journalists had followed some activists around the popular Mary Slessor circle in Calabar where a handful of them had gathered to mark the first day of the 10-day planned protest against alleged bad governance.

Names of other activists arrested were not immediately known.

Before his arrest and torture, Ugbal had posted a video in the morning which showed that the surrounding roads to the Mary Slessor roundabout had been deserted.

He had made other commentaries about governance in the state.

Reacting, James Ibor, a human rights activist said the arrest and torture of the activists and journalists was condemnable and reprehensible.

He alleged that the security agents who tortured the journalists came in four vehicles and were heavily armed.

“We challenged the authorities to produce any evidence that Ugbal and others were violent.

“I strongly suspect that the security agents are those attached to the state governor Senator Bassey Otu.

“But we know that Gov Otu, being a people-centric leader, cannot allow his agents to be this brutal..”

“This is very sad. It is a disappointment and we call on Gov Otu to order the release of these journalists and activists whom I strongly believe are in government custody.“