Mr Abayomi Adeshida, a photojournalist with the Vanguard Newspapers, attached to the State House, Abuja, was on Thursday morning beaten up by security details of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
The incident took place at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja during the opening session of the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), chaired by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
Adeshida, while speaking about his experience, said he was taking photographs of the vice president taking a tour of the exhibition stands at the event, when five personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) suddenly pounced on him.
He said the incident happened as Osinbajo was being presented a copy of magazine as souvenir at a particular stand.
Adeshida, who said he was not told his supposed infraction, added that the security details hit and dragged him on the floor.
He said his professional camera was damaged in the process.
The development was said to have embarrassed the Vice President.
“I was shocked when these DSS started beating me for no apparent reason. They tore off my Presidential Villa accreditation tag on the shirt and dragged me on the floor while hitting and kicking me.
“I believe they would have done much worse if not for the intervention of the Vice-President’s Aide-de-Camp (ADC), who I noticed was making hand movements for them to leave me alone.
“I am feeling pains all over my body and a particular severe pain on my right leg on which I don’t even know what they hit me with,” he said before leaving for hospital.
The physical attack on Adeshida came at a time when 35 aides of the Vice President had been reportedly sacked on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is away on a private visit to the United Kingdom.
When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said, “Ah ah. Ok, I am hearing it from you for the first time right now. But let me investigate the thing. I will find out what happened and deal with the issue.”
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