The development came 24 hours after the state chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress suspended their street protests until further notice due to a security report, which indicated that some miscreants were planning to hijack the peaceful protests.
The representatives of the civil society groups, at a news conference shortly after the alleged attack, claimed that the protest was peaceful until when the suspected NURTW members rushed to them at the Cathedral area of Oba Adesida Road in Akure and asked them to go away.
The state coordinator of Justice, Peace and Development Commission, Rev. Fr. Patrick Adebayo, who spoke on behalf of his coalition, alleged that the NURTW members allegedly beat up the secretary of the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Mr. Ebenezer Adeniyan, and tore his clothes.
He said the attackers rough-handled a lecturer at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Dr. Bayo Aborisade, and snatched his camera, valued at N150, 000.
He said, “The protest had remained peaceful since it started on Monday and we converged on the Cathedral on Oba Adesida Road only to meet a heavy presence of security operatives, who said they were there to forestall possible breakdown of law and order.
“Surprisingly, the NURTW members came and attacked our members in the full glare of the security operatives and there was no move by them to stop the action. They watched helplessly as the men snatched the expensive camera of the FUTA lecturer.
“The attackers belong to an affiliate of the NLC and we wonder why they should attack us because their union participated actively in the protest before the NLC leadership in the state suspended its further participation on Wednesday.”
Adebayo explained that the coalition had met with the Commissioner of Police and had formally reported the matter at the state command.
Source: Punchng.com and trends.com.ng
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