Osinbajo’s security aides harass journalist

By Lawrence Olaoye

Security detail attached to Vice Presiddent Yemi Osinbajo yesterday harassed a photojournalist with the Vanguard Newspapers, attached to the Presidential Villa.
The incident took place at the State House Conference Centre in the Villa during the opening session of the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission NiDCOM, chaired by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
Adeshida told newsmen that he was taking photographs of the Vice-President taking a tour of the exhibition stands at the event when five personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) suddenly pounced on him as Osinbajo was being presented a copy of magazine as souvenir at a particular stand.
According to him, he was not told his supposed infraction as he claimed that he was not in any way obstructing the event or doing anything out of the ordinary before the security details started hitting him, dragged him over the floor and damaged his professional camera, right in the presence of the Vice-President.
“I was shocked when these DSS started beating me for no apparent reason. They tore off my Presidential Villa accreditation tag on the shirt and dragged me on the floor while hitting and kicking me.
“I believe they would have done much worse if not for the intervention of the Vice-President’s Aide-de-Camp (ADC), who I noticed was making hand movements for them to leave me alone.
“I am feeling pains all over my body and a particular severe pain on my right leg on which I don’t even know what they hit me with”, he said before heading for the hospital for treatment.
No other aides of the Vice-President made efforts to stop the humiliation of the journalist in the presence of Osibanjo, who may have been embarrassed by the situation.
The incident happened a day after 35 aides of the Vice-President were reported to have been sacked on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is away on a private visit to the United Kingdom.