Taiwo Yishau, a cameraman with Trust TV, a subsidiary of Media Trust Group, Publishers of the Daily Trust Titles, was attacked at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, venue of the Grand Finale rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign.
Taiwo was attacked at one of the gates of the stadium despite carrying the press tag issued by the APC for journalists covering the rally.
The final rally is taking place at the stadium with several roads leading to the venue blocked.
While President Muhammadu Buhari who is expected at the rally and the dignitaries including the Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu are yet to arrive at the venue, the Trust TV cameraman who has covered several rallies of the party held in the state was stopped from entering despite all entreaties to them that he was a journalist assigned to cover the rally.
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He was not only stopped at the gate by the hoodlums, he was also beaten severally as they accused him of forging the tag.
“The worst thing is that policemen watched while the thugs descended on me,” he said while narrating his experience.
He disclosed that some bouncers were hired to man the gate and one of them handed him over to the thugs who beat him mercilessly, insisting he was working for the opposition PDP.
“They said I’m working for the opposition and policemen were there while this lasted. I showed them the press tag given to us by the APC Publicity Secretary, Mr. Seye Oladejo yesterday but they said it is fake, that I forged the tag.
“They said I am working for the opposition and they even asked me to show them the previous works I have done for APC before and they kept beating me.
“I couldn’t believe it. Their intention was to kill me and the policemen kept watching as if nothing was happening. They didn’t say anything. While the beating continued, I was trying to protect my camera and my phone; they kept beating me, saying I’m an opposition member.”
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