Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti State Council, has sympathised with members who were injured during Tuesday’s attack on the convoy of Ekiti State First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, in Oye Ekiti, by youths believed to be students of Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE).
Olasunkami Ogunmuko of CORE TV, Raphael Ogbonnaiye of Daily Trust, Ayodele Afolabi of The Guardian, Adedayo Oladele of New Nigerian and other journalists on the first lady’s entourage narrowly escaped severe physical attacks, though some sustained various degrees of injuries.
NUJ Chairman in Ekiti State, Rotimi Ojomoyela, condemned the calculated attacks on his members, urging security agencies to fish out the perpetrators.
Recounting the incident, Sunkanmi Ogunmuko of CORE TV said Erelu Fayemi was already conducting the empowerment programme at the civic centre in Oye Ekiti when the incident occurred.
Ogunmuko said the students came on their hundreds from both Oye and Ikole campuses and attacked vehicles with sticks and other dangerous weapons. He said they destroyed over ten cars in the convoy and wounded journalists and other participants.
“It was the security details around the first lady that alerted the entourage about the happening. They were the ones who summoned courage to remove all the bonfires and mounted road blockades before the first lady was narrowly frisked out of the beleaguered scene.
“Most of the journalists were wounded by the sticks, bottles and sticks thrown by the protesting students,” he stated.
He added that the police had to teargas the violent protesters before the governor’s wife could be rescued.