A journalist, Habeeb Adejobi of MITV, has claimed that he was attacked by individuals allegedly loyal to Moyosore Ogunlewe, chairman of Kosofe Local Government in Lagos State.

Adejobi said the incident occurred on Wednesday while he visited the council secretariat to cover the screening of supervisors and special advisers appointed by the council.

He explained that he arrived at the secretariat around 4 p.m. and attempted to reach the council chairman and the information officer to formally notify them of his presence, but both were unavailable.

According to Adejobi, he contacted a councillor who informed him that the council was still conducting the screening exercise. He then set up his camera within the premises.

“A man approached me and asked if I was the journalist, and on confirming my identity, he said the chairman had instructed that I leave the premises. I explained that I had already informed the chairman of my presence. When the chairman arrived, he asked for my identification card, which I did not have with me, and then ordered that my cameras be seized,” Adejobi said.

He alleged that following the seizure of his equipment, officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and members of a special task force attached to the chairman assaulted him. Adejobi was reportedly taken to the Area H Police Command, where his phone was also confiscated.

In response, the management of Kosofe Local Government, through its Head of Public Affairs, Hamzat Olaide, denied the allegations. The council stated that Ogunlewe’s administration did not authorize any attack on Adejobi or any other individual.

The council emphasized that it values journalists’ safety, dignity, and professional freedom. “The Executive Chairman is a law-abiding public servant who holds the media in high regard. He is taking the allegation seriously, given his longstanding cordial relationship with members of the press,” the statement read.

Kosofe Local Government assured the public that appropriate measures would be taken to investigate the incident and ensure justice, as the circumstances surrounding the alleged attack are reviewed.