• Assault on Press
• National Secretariat
• PDP

NUJ FCT COUNCIL CONDEMNS ATTACK ON JOURNALIST AT PDP SECRETARIAT

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  Nicolas Adekeye / 4 months
• 0
• 2 min read

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, has strongly condemned the assault on a member of the council, Mr. Ndubuisi Orji, at the PDP Party secretariat. Mr. Orji, a correspondent with THE SUN Newspaper, was assaulted by Emmanuel Okoronkwo, a member of staff of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, January 5, 2025, at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja. According to the NUJ, the incident occurred when Mr. Orji was about to enter the press center located within the secretariat to carry out his lawful duty. Okoronkwo violently prevented him from gaining access to the secretariat and assaulted him, insisting that it was an order from the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, that no journalists should be allowed into the secretariat. Ndubuisi recounted his experience, saying, “As I was heading to my car, Okoronkwo descended on me with a series of slaps and assaulted me until those private security guards rescued me from him. He even damaged my mobile phone. He also threatened to deal with me.” Senator Samuel Anyanwu denied giving such orders, stating that the party was on holiday and that he had made efforts to invite the affected journalist but to no avail. “They reported the matter to the police. But I have told the journalist to come on his own time so that I will find out what the matter is all about,” Anyanwu said. The NUJ FCT Council described the attack as “irresponsible, uncivilised, unwarranted, and an affront to press freedom.” The council demands an unreserved apology from the party within 48 hours and has vowed to take up the matter with the relevant security authorities. The NUJ statement reads, “Any form of assault on a journalist is an affront to the fundamental principles of press freedom and the right of citizens to access accurate and unbiased information. We must protect journalists and ensure that they can perform their duties without fear of retribution.”