There was drama on Tuesday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, after hoodlums invaded the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre and disrupted a press conference.
The press conference had been scheduled by the Ondo Liberation Initiatives, but it was, however, disrupted by hoodlums few minutes to commencement of the event.
BusinessDay reported that the unarmed hoodlums numbering about 500 came into the Press Centre with motorcycles and wanted to force their way into the venue of the press conference but met the doors leading to the venue under lock and key.
The hoodlums stood at the entrance of the Press Centre and prevented both journalists and members of the group from gaining access to the venue of the event leading to uproar between pro and anti-impeachment of Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Journalists has called on political gladiators and hoodlums in Ondo State to stay away from the union’s Press Centre at Alagbaka Akure over political situation in the state.
A statement issued by the Chairman and Secretary of the union, Leke Adegbite and Olaoluwa Meshack, however, described the development as uncalled for and challenged the security operatives in the state arrest such ugly incident.
The statement read partly, “Although no physical attack was recorded but preventing journalists from carrying out their statutory duties at the press centre is unacceptable, as free press remains the oxygen of any virile democracy.
“Ondo NUJ warns that it would no longer take such unprovoked invasion of our home ‘press centre’ as journalists in the state have been reporting all parties in the political situation in the state fairly and objectively.
“The Union equally urges security agencies to be more alive to their responsibility as all efforts to make them deploy their men to the press centre when such invasion occurred proved abortive.”
