The incident happened at the State Government’s Secretariat when the journalists in company with their colleagues went to cover the workers’protest over nonpayment of their salaries.
234TODAY gathered that the network journalists were dealt several blows by the irate workers who thought they were working for a government-owned media organisation.
The prompt intervention of officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and colleagues of the victims prevented the workers from battering the journalists to coma.
One of the battered journalists, Okandeji, who spoke on the telephone with our correspondent, said they were mistaken for journalists from the media organisation the workers considered to be unfriendly to them.
He said, “I was treated at the clinic inside the secretariat, I have chest pain but Folorunsho has a cut on his hand. His camera was also damaged by our attackers.”
He said he was at the Ataoja Police Station where he had gone to make a formal report of the attack.
The chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osun State chapter, Mr. Biodun Olakere, when contacted on the telephone, condemned the attack.
He said, “The attack was unfortunate and we condemned it. The NLC chairman has apologised and we have accepted the apology but we have asked the two gentlemen beaten to identify just one out of those who beat them and we would ensure that that one is dealt with.
“We know that the leadership of the labour union was not behind it but it was the handiwork of some misguided persons. We will ensure that those who perpetrated the act face the wrath of the law.”
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