Uyo — Akwa Ibom State correspondent of The Nation Newspaper, Mr. Kazeem Ibrahim, was, Sunday, beaten to coma by gun-trotting security operatives during Governor Godswill Akpabio's 50th birthday thanksgiving service in Uyo.

Kazeem is the third victim in the series of the SSS operatives manhandling of journalists at government sponsored events in the state despite complaints by the state Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, to security agencies.

Journalists in the state, mostly members of Correspondents Chapel of NUJ, arrived the venue of the church service, at 10.30 am but were barred by SSS operatives at the gate from entering even when they presented official invitation cards.

It was only when the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Pastor Anietie Ukpe, arrived that he appealed to the armed security men to allow journalists enter the hall.

After some journalists were cleared, the security details at the gate stopped The Nation correspondent from entering, as his explanation was rebuffed.

All of a sudden, the six- foot-tall journalist, Mr. Ibrahim, was carried up like a baby, hauled and pummelled by SSS operatives.