Photojournalists beaten, molested for covering inferno at CBN building

Adeparusi receiving an award in Germany

 Two photojournalists with the National Mirror Newspapers, Yinka Adeparusi and Samuel Adetimehin, were on Tuesday brutalised and had their cameras vandalised and confiscated by men of the Nigeria Police Force, after they reported to the scene of the fire incident at the premises of the Central Bank of Nigeria on Broad Street in Lagos.

Adeparusi at work

Both photojournalists got to know of the fire incidents as smoke from the building billowed but on arriving at the scene to carry out their professional duty, they were molested by the security officials who ordered them to surrender their cameras at all costs, under duress and severe beating. Adeparusi, who is an international award winning photojournalist was later whisked away to the Area ‘A’ Police Station where he was detained before he was released.

Meanwhile, Adetimehin who was the first to be attacked was left to writhe in pain after he had received punches from the marauding mob of policemen who made sure they all had a go at Adetimehin even after forcefully taking his camera and dismembering it at the spot. The two photojournalists have now been placed under medical care by their employers, as they are presently suffering from the grievous bodily harm inflicted by the security agents.