ABEOKUTA, Nigeria — Prominent Nigerian journalist and media advocate, Seun Odunlami, has strongly condemned the recent assault on three media practitioners in the Igbesa area of Ogun State, calling it a dangerous threat to the constitutional freedom of the press.
Odunlami’s reaction follows a joint outcry by the Ogun State Chapter of the Freelance and Independent Broadcasters’ Association of Nigeria (FIBAN) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) regarding the harassment of Mr. Taiwo Fabajo (OGTV), Mr. Bidemi Bello (Channels Television), and independent journalist Mr. Gbenga Osinuga.
The reporters were physically targeted by private security guards attached to a Chinese firm while covering an official government enforcement exercise at the Ogun Guandong free trade zone.
Reacting to the incident, Odunlami stated that the attack represents a lawless overreach by private actors who possess no legal authority to interfere with the work of the press. He emphasized that journalists are not adversaries to corporate interests or the state, but are professionals fulfilling a vital democratic duty to keep the public informed.
“When private individuals or corporate security operatives take the law into their own hands to brutalize journalists on duty, it chips away at the very foundation of transparency and accountability in our society,” Odunlami noted. He further argued that protecting the physical safety of reporters is fundamental to maintaining an ethical, digital-first media landscape where truth can be reported without fear of violent retaliation.
Aligning with the demands of the state’s media unions, Odunlami called on the Nigeria Police Force to launch an immediate investigation to identify and prosecute the security personnel involved. He also urged the management of the affected company to cooperate transparently with law enforcement, warning that failure to publicly hold their operatives accountable would signal corporate tolerance for lawlessness.
