Economic Hardship: Protest cancelled in Delta, soldiers arrest journalist

Soldiers from the Nigerian Army 3 Battalion in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, in the early hours of Friday arrested the South-South Bureau Chief of Galaxy Television, Mr Dele Fasan, for taking video clips at the scene of a planned protest against the economic hardship in the country.

He was arrested in the presence of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DC Operations, Aina Adesola.

He was however released after Adesola and other journalists from Independent Television & Radio, Mr Gbenga Ahmed and DAILY POST, Mr Matthew Omonigho, appealed to the Army Commander, Major AE Ohegbe, who ordered his release.

Also at the scene, the soldiers whisked a human right activist, Comrade Israel Joe, away to the barracks for reasons not clear at press time after a rift between him and other human right activists, including Kelvin Ejumudo.

Fasan told DAILY POST that he was trying to get video clips of the protest when the soldiers accosted him despite identifying himself by showing his identity card.

“The military were not civil at all during the protest. But the Police led by DCP Aina Adesola, the Navy, the DSS and NSCDC operatives were civil as they all intervened and I was released,” he said.

He said Major Ahegbe later apologized to him.

National Secretary of Human Right Protection Congress, Kelvin Ejumudo said the civil society organisations came out to ensure that the protest did not hold following the threat across the nation.

“We don’t want any protest at all because when it happens, people will loose their properties. People will loose their monies,” he said.

“I will not condone any idea of protest in this state because at the moment, Nigeria is volatile.”

He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, all the 36 state governors and local government chairmen to as a matter of urgency tackle the hunger in the land.

The Chairman Board of Trustees of Citizens Rights Enhancement Initiative, Comrade Edewor Egedegbe, in a chat with newsmen commended the security operatives in their approach at managing the situation in the country.

While noting that there’s hunger in the land, Egedegbe, a cleric said, “you cannot cure hunger with further inflicting harm on innocent citizens.”

“What the police, the military have done to ensure that there’s no breakdown of law and order is very much in order.

“For some of us, we have said the time is not ripe for any protest that can snowball into a major crisis.

“There’s a crisis of hunger already and the government are doing their best. Although, we believe that their best is not good enough. We are asking them to do more because there’s truly hunger in the land.”

Adesola said he was sent to the scene by the Commissioner of Police to maintain peace. While noting that everywhere is peaceful, he said citizens are going about their normal businesses without any hindrances.

“There’s no problem. Residents should come out en masse and to their different place of work. Nobody will molest them.

“The civil societies, they’ve rallied round the police and the Army. We are on ground and there’s no problem.”

Meanwhile, the protest could not hold as it was cancelled after critical stakeholders met and discussed over the issues last night.