By PHILIP NWOSU
The military yesterday admitted invading the secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Umuahia promising to replace damaged work tool of journalists at the centre.
Spokesman for the 14 Brigade in Abia State, Major Oyegoke Gbadamosi told Daily Sun on phone that trouble started when soldiers who were on the Operation Python Dance were on patrol and some journalists at the NUJ secretariat came out to use their phone, iPad and tablet to record the patrol.
He said that it was at this point that the soldiers went into the centre to seize the phones and tablets and things became messier, adding that, “we have resolved with the chairman of the NUJ and we have asked him to list the items destroyed and the Army will replace them.”
Some of the soldiers had invaded the Abia State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists on Aba Road, Umuahia, and destroyed laptops and other valuables.
Also narrating the stories of the invasion, journalists at the secretariat said the soldiers claimed they saw somebody taking photographs of them from the building and without concrete evidence attacked them.
The Chairman of Council Mr. John Emejor has confirmed the incident.
Emejor lamented the attack by the soldiers saying that a national officer of the Union Ezeogo Bonny Okoro was physically assaulted by one of the soldiers.
He said: “Our press centre was invaded by soldiers, two journalists lost their iPads and phones, while a national leader in the office was attacked. Sunnews.
