*I was almost lynched yesterday (Saturday 5 June, 2021) while on duty
*Hoodlums indeed reign supreme in Ibadan now and security is in trouble…
By MARUFH BELLO
Marufh Bello, a seasoned Journalist in Ibadan, Oyo State, has made contributions required of him the journalism way towards achieving a better Nigeria of every citizen’s dream. In this trying period that Journalism’s integrity and nobility are under question as bulk of the corruption-borne insecurity and other problems of the country have constantly been traced to between two major categories of people: unpatriotic politicians and the media, there are still some Journalists, who stand out keeping the noble and reputable profession afloat that not only Nigeria may succeed but the Journalism Nobility that is naturally known with the most untied and respected profession will be recovered. But this happened to Bello, Editor-in-Chief of City Hill News, in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, which is a sad indication that there is high level of insecurity in South West that is not talked about by the same dominant South West concentrated media organisations, which have penchant for screaming over problem of other regions while looking the other way to prove a point that theirs is the safest and most peaceful in Nigeria. In truth, South West, especially Oyo and Lagos states as things stand, are very unsafe and insecured because, governance in the region is, under-reportedly and at parallel, also run by hoodlums along with the constitutional government. This is reason for the hardship that people face in the Yoruba speaking part as hoodlums determine prices in the markets, fare charged by transport operators and even land use. Unfortunately, no member of the region, Journalist or commoner, has been able to tell this truth as they are mostly happier to blame the Hausa-Fulani even for these evils they obviously do to themselves in the name of ethnic politics. The victim here tells about his own experience. Excerpts:
They said I was not a journalist because I didn’t come in a car. They were speaking gibberish and this shows that they are completely ignorant and are criminals. They almost lynched me. Only God knows what would’ve happened to me today if it were dead in the night. These are the people who want Oodua Republic!
*I was almost lynched yesterday (Saturday 5 June, 2021) while on duty
*Hoodlums indeed reign supreme in Ibadan now and security is in trouble…
After listening to Bo Se N Lo by Temitayo Oyeladun (Aabo Oro) on Splash FM on Saturday, 5 May, 2021, I set out to see things for myself as the state marks the 2nd anniversary in office of the governor of Oyo State, Engr Seyi Mákindé.
I got to Baba Onilu Iwo Road roundabout at about 1.30pm and I was fascinated by the iron barricades and concrete pillars used as dividers to direct and control traffic in the area. Also, I could see that there was no sign of flood on the tarred highway interchange, unlike before that the whole place would be flooded and looked untidy whenever it rained. It rained a day before (Friday) and Saturday when I got to the axis, there was no sign that it had just rained.
As a development journalist, all this attracted me and brought out my phone to take some shots to write about what I saw. But soon these hoodlums soon spoiled the day.
After taking one or two shots around the bypass to Lagos State when you’re coming from Bus Stop/Gate, the boys who parked Okada in front of Baba Onilu started shouting at me asking, “Are you taking our photographs” and were moving ferociously towards me. They didn’t notice I was taking pictures initially, it was one young man who was running after vehicles to give commercial motorists hackney tickets that raised the alarm about me, saying “Why are you filming us?”
I didn’t pay attention to any of them them because they were not the ones I was filming but before I knew what was happening, they had surrounded me, mobbed me, about 10 to 20 of them. They started dragging my phone with me; they pushed me to the barricade painted black and white on the highway, manhandling me. In fact, I was hearing some of them saying slap him and smash his phone on the floor. “E ti e koko gba foonu owo won, ki e lu won naa ka to gbo nkankan leenu won,” so they were talking. They made frantic efforts to seize my Android phone. I showed them my ID card, which they later got hold of but all this didn’t make any sense to them. They said I was not a journalist because I didn’t come in a car. They were speaking gibberish and this shows that they are completely ignorant and are criminals. They almost lynched me. Only God knows what would’ve happened to me today if it were dead in the night. These are the people who want Oodua Republic!
As they were dragging my phone with me, another fairly mature person wearing a PDP Ankara with Governor Mákindé’s picture, also into ticketing, seeing the boys rough-handling me, came closer and tried to see if truly I was filming the “boys”. Because he is a fairly mature person and wearing a cloth with PDP logo and portrait of Engr Mákindé, I handed over my phone to him to confirm I didn’t film any of the boys, at least to save my phone from being smashed or stolen. The guy also believing his “boys” suspected I was filming the boys and he looked into my photo gallery and privacy beyond what was normal. Of course, he was looking for evidence to prove the boys right. When I discovered he had gone beyond normal limit, I wanted to collect my phone from him but he refused until he satisfied his curiosity. However, he didn’t see anything of sorts on my phone. They released my phone and ID card to me after I explained my mission.
Earlier before I left home, Temitayo Oyeladun of Splash FM had just spoken about how Federal Boys (Awon Omo Federal) are terrorising passersby dispossessing them of their belongings. My encounter yesterday at Baba Onilu Iwo Road roundabout confirmed that hoodlums have indeed taken over Ibadan. If these boys are not criminals, having skeleton in their cupboard, how can they just attack somebody doing his constitutional job in daylight? It’s only those people that have something to keep secret that wouldn’t want their stories in print.
I was shocked at the confidence displayed by the young guys/hoodlums charging at me ferociously. The audacity clearly reveals that they think they “own” the present government in Oyo State and they can do whatever they like. If this is the true situation, then my dear state is in big mess and trouble.
Throughout this encounter which lasted for about 30-40 minutes, no single security personnel, including the Amotekun corps, were sighted in the area and no civilian passerby intervened or tried to see what was going on. I was all alone in the midst of these hoodlums trying to gain freedom as the Al Jazeera reporter, Givara Budeiri, was struggling to free herself when she was held hostage and handcuffed for reporting the atrocities going on in East Jerusalem.
During the last local government election in Oyo State, some PDP elements also harassed one of our reporters asking him not to take any pictures while the election lasted at St Andrew’s Primary School, Omi-Adio, Ibadan.
For how long shall we harass and intimidate journalists?
I think with my experience yesterday, although I have had series of encounters where people would challenge one, harass and try to intimidate one when you want to take some shots, the journalists are facing serious hazards on the field and in a situation like the above, they (journalists) are always powerless and helpless and should therefore be allowed by law to carry arms around for self defence.
PS: As some people write and claim on social media that we’ve been surrounded by “Fulanis”, let it be known that the Ibadan city has also been taken over by Yoruba hoodlums. So, our governor should act NOW before the confidence of these boys graduates to the point that they begin to knock on the people’s doors to surrender their belongings to them. This evil confidence of theirs is scary. Oyo State doesn’t need to open its “borders” to Okada commercialists banned somewhere else to relocate to Oyo State unless we have a hidden mission for which we’re piling them up.
Awon omo ti ko ni eko ti po nita bayi o. Beeni won laya bi Èsù!
Marufh Bello
Editor-in-Chief, City Hill News
6th June, 2021.
