By Jethro Ibileke
The newly inaugurated Special Security Squad, codenamed “Operation Flush out kidnappers and cultists” by Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, has allegedly assaulted a journalist working with a private broadcasting station.
The victim, Hassan Olasunnkanmi Quadri, who works with Independent TV, was reportedly assaulted, beaten and brutalised by the less than 24 hours after the outfit commenced operation in the State.
Okpebholo, while announcing the establishment last Sunday, noted that the Special Security Squad was geared towards flushing out kidnappers and cultists in the State.
It was gathered that the incident happened when members of the squad stormed and raided an undisclosed hotel where the victim was lodged in Benin City.
In a viral video posted on his Facebook page, Hassan Olasunnkanmi Quadri narrated how the team invaded his hotel room and assaulted him.
The victim who spoke in pidgin English said, “As you all know, I nor dey find trouble, I nor dey find wahala. I do my work diligently. I nor dey even put hand for anything bad.
“But seriously, even if everything gets as it is, that does not mean that every youth in Edo state is are criminal. It doesn’t mean that everybody in Edo State is a criminal.
“At least you give them the leverage to introduce themselves and ask questions, but instead, you put tyrants on the road.
“Edo state government, I am calling you out to go and do a check. Stop youths on the road, Edo State is not safe anymore for now.
“I will call them tyrants even though you are a uniform man. You burst into my room and I asked a simple question Who are you? Who are you looking for?
“Normally, you should introduce yourself, and you said you want to search, and I told you to search. The next thing you are ordering me out that I should enter your bus. To where? Do I know who you are and where you are going?
“Edo State is pretty hot right now. I should just follow you? No ID card. Anybody can wear a Police uniform.
“You came into my room, and before I knew it, one just slapped me. And before I could raise my head, the other one teargassed my eyes. In a civilised country, we are. Edo State, what is happening?
“You teargassed my eyes, and also before I knew it, they tore my clothes. Some of them were even going for my gold necklace. Is that why you are here? I was very vigilant to protect my property. They dragged me to Oluku junction.”
The victim narrated that but for the prompt intervention of Mr Fred Itua, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Okpebholo, the situation might have worsened.
“If not the intervention of Mr Fred Itua, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, it would have been worse.
“The CPS was even telling them to leave me alone, that this is so so and so so person they did not hear. It took the CPS a lot of intervention before they could leave me.
“If not for the CPS, I would have been in detention or prison today for what I don’t know. They are just gathering people. Is that the problem? There are a lot of people who are killing our brothers, fathers and everybody on the farms, and nobody is doing anything about it.
“If you must fight anything, cultism is the right way to go about it? You are arresting youths who are not doing anything on the roads. People who are going about their daily business.
“Don’t you know where the real ones are? You people should check yourself if you are not even among the cultists. They stole my property. What nonsense is all this?
“If not for the CPS today, I would have been behind bars in the police station or inside prison, and they would tag, ‘Cultism raid in Edo state”. That is how they would have tagged and charges preferred against me.
“Edo state, we can do better than this. This is not the way forward. They beat me and dragged me on the ground like a thief. They wounded me on the forehead. Would I never get in my life,” he added.
Confirming the incident, in a phone call on a program on another private broadcasting station in Benin City, Fred Itua said he was with the squad when the incident happened.
Itua described the action of some of the members of the squad as unfortunate.
He said he decided to follow the team on its operation because he had fears that some of the members would not behave well.
According to him, as expected, some did not behave well, and that was one of the reasons I decided to go with them for the operation. I would have decided to send some staff to go with them, but I decided to go myself, being the first day of the operation, in case there are going to be some issues, I can easily step in.
“In the case of our colleague, when they got to the hotel, he was one of those that they brought out. Immediately, I saw him from a distance and I quickly ran to meet them.
“I went almost physical with members of the squad, telling them they cannot arrest him because I know him as a journalist. When they dragged him into the bus, I went to remove him from it.
“That is how he came out of the bus, and I apologised to him, that it was a mistake of identity. I felt bad because they assaulted and manhandled him”, he said.
The development elicited reactions from members of the public who described the action of the squad as unprofessional.
Others noted that several innocent persons are today languishing in prison because of the alleged unprofessional conduct of some security personnel.
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