Nigeria: No Justice, Over Month After 15 Men Beat Nigerian Journalist Investigating Phone Scam

Abuja — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Nigerian authorities to swiftly identify and hold to account at least 15 men who assaulted journalist Allwell Ene as he was investigating an alleged phone scam in the southern city of Port Harcourt.

Police spokesperson Blessing Agabe announced on World Press Freedom Day, May 3, that 13 suspects had been arrested for beating Ene, head of news at MegaLectrics media group, on April 13.

Ene told CPJ that he went to the station to identify the suspects on May 4, but the detainees were not the men who had attacked him. Although the police promised to investigate further, Ene said he has heard nothing since.

On May 27, Agabe told CPJ that investigations were ongoing.

"Nigerian authorities should move quickly to successfully conclude their investigation into the attack on journalist Allwell Ene. The delay in delivering justice is a grim reminder of the impunity that has characterized dozens of attacks on journalists in Nigeria," said CPJ Africa Director Angela Quintal. "Authorities cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the dangers facing the press."

Ene and his MegaLectrics colleague, Daniel Whyte, told CPJ that the journalist was following up on a tip off by a member of the public who came to their office to complain he had not been given a phone that he had paid for.

Ene said he accompanied the man to the shopping complex and started questioning the vendor. Another man identified Ene as a journalist, asked why he was investigating the allegation, and punched him in the face. Ene said at least 15 people surrounded him, punching and slapping his face, head, stomach, and back for about 10 minutes, tore his shirt, and stole money from his back pocket. The assailants also snatched his phone and formatted it to delete all his data.

More than six weeks later, Ene said his left eye was still painful and he was due to return to a hospital for a review on May 29. For two days after the assault, he could not see with that eye, which was red with blood, and his stomach and back were painful, he said.

Ene told CPJ he received a call three days after the incident from the state commissioner of police, Olugbenga Adepoju Adewole, promising to hold the attackers accountable.

CPJ's calls and text messages to Adewole were not answered.

Read the original article on CPJ.