Wale JAGUN
The Publisher/Reporter-in-Chief of THE IMPACT Newspaper, an Ikorodu based print and online news medium, Kunle Adelabu, was on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, attacked by a suspected thug, Yusuf Omidele.
Adelabu was attacked by Yussuf inside the event hall of the Ikorodu Local Government Secretariat during the first Year Account of Stewardship ceremony of Hon. Wasiu Adeshina, the Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government and also issued threat to his life.
In a release signed by the Publisher, he stated that the attack was an unprovoked and calculated attempt by his attacker to silent and intimidate him.
He also stated that he has lodged a criminal complaint at the Ikorodu Division Police Headquarters located along Ikorodu/Igbogbo road and has also petitioned necessary quarters.
“While carrying out my duty as a reporter during the Account of Stewardship event of Hon. Wasiu Adeshina, the Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government, I was hit by heavy blow on my left ear from behind. On turning back, I discovered that it was Yusuf Omidele”, he stated.
“On enquiry from him over the attack, Yussuf pointed his right hand at me and said, “I had warned you that I’m going to deal with you decisively. You have been writing about me and I’m not yet done with you”, he threatened.
“While in pains, I called the attention of some Councilors and others to the attack on my person. I also went straight to the chairman’s office to report the matter, but on getting there, the Secretary to the Local Government, who had already been informed about the incident, was reporting the matter to the Chairman.
“A criminal complaint has since been lodged at the Ikorodu Division Police headquarters along Igbogbo road. You can be rest assured that I’m going to press necessary charges against Yussuf. I’m not going to backed down”, Adelabu assurred.
He enjoined reporters to always take seriously cases of assaults and threats encountered in the course of their duties.
“It is in the interest of journalism and humanity that the matter must be pursued to logical conclusion. We cannot continue to let go of things like this on the basis that journalism is an endangered profession. If we have to go down, we must do that fighting for ourselves the same way and manner we have been doing for others and the society at large”.
Alhough, the chairman, who was in the company of former council chairman, Alhaji Waheed Owokodu and others like Alhaji Ola, Alhaji Lateef Afinni, the Secretary to the Local Government and Comrade Japthet Odesanya, the former Secretary to the Ikorodu Local Government, did everything to reach Yussuf but to no avail.
Hon. Adeshina and others, however, pleaded with the publisher to let go of his grievances and also assured that the culprit would be called to order and that such unfortunate incident would never occur again.
The publisher also stated that he has been experiencing such harassment and intimidations from different quarters recently.
“Recently, I have been experiencing attacks and intimidations from different quarters in Ikorodu. I was recently attacked by another thug from Ojurowo (named withheld) and I had to let go of the matter after several interventions”, he stated.
“This is the second time that Yussuf would be threatening my life due to the stories that I wrote on the mayhem perpetrated by some hoodlums who unleashed terror on Obun-Ale/Itun-Nla/Ojurowo/Eti-Gutter/Obun-Ale/Itagbodo areas of Ikorodu and the violent engagement between the opposing camps within the Ikorodu All Progressives Party (APC) at the party’s Secretariat at ACME,Ikeja, recently.
Speaking on what could have made the suspect to attack him, the publisher stated:
“I suspected that the attack has to do with stories that I have been covering recently, particularly the one on the mayhem unleashed on Ikorodu by some suspected thugs on Saturday, April 28, 2018, and which I reported extensively in THE IMPACT Newspaper of May/June 2018 edition with titles such as, “Ikorodu Violence: Council, Police Declare War On Drug Peddling, Bases In Ikorodu”, “Ikorodu Violence: Ojurowo, Eti-Gutter Boys Clash Over Supremacy, Woman
”I equally posted the stories on all the online platforms of THE IMPACT Newspaper such as www.theimpactnewspaper.com, The Impact Newspaper – Community (Facebook), impactnewspae1 (Twitter) and The Impact Community News (WhatsApp)
“I also suspected that the attack may be connected with a report I did on the violent engagement between the opposing camps within the Ikorodu All Progressives Party (APC) at the party’s Secretariat at ACME,Ikeja, on Wednesday, June 20, 2018, in which Yussuf partook actively and other political reports.
“He is a known political thug and cultist who always goes about disturbing the peace of the town.
“I’m also of the opinion that he might be carrying out the bidding of some politicians and others due to the reports stated above and others that I have been writing in recent times”, Adelabu alleged.
Narrating his first encounter with the suspect, Adelabu said he was once threatened by the suspect during the viewing of the just concluded Russia World Cup tournament at the Ikorodu town hall.
“My first encounter with Yussuf was in early last month (July), and that also happened to be is first threat on my person, at the Ikorodu Town hall viewing centre of the last World Cup in Russia.
“He had sent a guy to bring me and the guy approached me rudely while I was leaving the VVIP section of the Viewing Centre where I was with Prince Hakeem Olukunga, member, Governing Council of the Lagos State Sports Commission, but I upbraided the guy and sent him away. Only for him to returned the second time, this time showing some courtesy and told me that Jordan, who is very known to me, needed my attention.
“On getting to a corner of the VVIP where Jordan was sitting with some guys, I exchanged pleasantries with him and others.
“It was while I was discussing with Jordan that a guy, who was sitting right beside him, interrupted and introduced himself as Yussuf Omidele. He stated that he was the one I wrote about and that I should keep writing about him and I would soon hear from him.
“I paid no attention to him and after concluding with Jordan, I exchanged handshakes with others, including Yussuf (whom I give little or no attention due to his threat) and I walked away.
“I had even forgotten about him until today, Wednesday, August 1, 2018, when he attacked me at council secretariat.
He added that his report on the violent engagements between two political camps at the state secretariat of the All Progressives Party (APC), at ACME in Ikeja, which Omidele was also involved, may have also accounted for the attack and threats on his person .
“Aside my report on the mayhem, the attack may also be connected with another report on the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) Congress crisis that has been rocking Ikorodu and which turned violent on Wednesday, June 20, 2018, when members of opposing camps unleashed mayhem on one another at ACME, the state secretariat of the party”, he alleged.
