Alleged Police Brutality: Journalist Sustains Serious Eye Injury In Kaduna… It’s Unlawful , Disturbing- CWPPF

A journalist, Mr. Idibia Gabriel, who was reportedly arrested and tortured by cops   in Kaduna state for taking pictures of the herd of cattle that allegedly had a man in police uniform as a shepherd, has sustained a serious eye injury. 

He was arrested for taking the picture  of uncountable number of herds of cattle along Kachia major road at U/Boro, in Sabon Tasha area of Kaduna state,  along with two others on June 11,  2024, but was later released.

In a telephone interview with Team@orientactualmags.com,  one of the star witnesses , who is also one of the victims, Comrade Kevin Sunday Umaru, confirmed the incident and said  Idibia was allegedly physically tortured, brutalized and left traumatized  despite the fact that he did not commit any offence.

Mr. Kevin Umaru, a Kaduna indigene, who was also allegedly  a victim of police arrest on the same day, but  at a  different location, alleged that the police wanted to kill the journalist in question who was allegedly knocked  down with a heavy blow by an officer while in police custody.

Mr. Idibia also  submitted that he did not do anything to warrant getting brutalized by the police  adding that apart from exchanging greetings and introducing himself as a journalist  and  later taking action pictures of the large herd of cattle that had a man in police uniform as shepherd he never did anything wrong.

‘It is a big lie, many of them were there, including one short police. I told my people that you sat innocently, and that boy just gave you a blow.

A female police officer, in fact, everybody there can testify that the boy gave you a heavy blow. Was it somebody who asked them to go and take hard drugs?  In fact, he wanted to kill you, and one other boy that was coming around you all the time. 

I know their names, there is Awual, there is Badogu, there was one who wrote the statement for you. The one that was kind to us is Nehemiah.

The one that was always coming around to hit you with a long stick is from Adamawa state. That your brother, the Idoma person knows all the boys’ Mr. Kevin Umaru  was also quoted to have submitted.

‘Was I not there? Nobody touched me. Honorable, my brother said we should take up the matter, that by right, they don’t suppose to arrest me, but I said no. But he disagreed with me, that we should take up the case with the police.

Mr. Idibia was arrested by the police and later taken into custody at the police CID, Kaduna state Branch, at Ibrahim Taiwo road, where he collapsed after being tortured and after being hit on the left side of his face, putting him in trouble of going from one eye hospital to another for treatment’ Kelvin added when asked if he was sure of the veracity of his assertions.

A Coalition of Whistleblowers Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF), had earlier issued  a statement  to condemn the arrest and assault on the  journalist by the police, describing this as unlawful and disturbing-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you