Personnel of the Nigerian Army and their counterparts from the Nigeria Police Force drafted to the Kaduna Polo Club for the closing ceremony of the 2017 International Polo Tournament on Saturday, assaulted the Assistant Secretary of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Kaduna State chapter, Jacob Onjewu Dickson.
The incident occurred after the victim alongside other colleagues approached the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, whose team emerged winners of the Georgian Cup after beating Kaduna Kakuri in the final match watched by several dignitaries.
Dickson said: “We just left the other side of the course, where we went to interview the Minister of State for Aviation when the policemen accosted me on my way back trailing behind colleagues. One of the policemen with a name tag Ahmed asked me for my ID card and it was shown to him, but he rudely said go back.
“Our colleagues told him that I was with them but he refused and along with others they started hitting me with their batons.
“The Army boys at the area joined and they were all hitting me in spite of protests from me that I am a journalist and showing them my ID card.”
Dickson said he would be seeking redress in the law courts where his lawyers will press charges for assault.
It took intervention of other journalists before he was admitted back into the presentation area where trophies were presented.
The Officer-in-Charge of the Murtala Square Police Post, who was visibly angry about the incident, appealed to Dickson to forgive the personnel.
Angry journalists at the venue were also appeased by the OC and the leader of the Army contingent.
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