The attention of FOI Counsel has been drawn to the deeply troubling incident involving the physical assault of Mrs. Juliet Enabulele, a journalist with the Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS) attached to the Office of the First Lady, by one Kelly Okungbowa, popularly known as Ebo Stone.
She was reported to have been assaulted by the youth leader during the sent-forth party for persons with disability in the state. The journalist was with camera to cover the event but an attempt to decongest the hall, led to the assault on the journalist.
We strongly condemn this barbaric, uncivilized and utterly unacceptable attack on a journalist who was carrying out her lawful duties. As we are aware, acts of violence against media professionals constitute a direct affront to press freedom, human dignity, and the rule of law, all of which are constitutionally protected under Sections 34 and 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended).
The assault on an unarmed woman performing her professional duty reflects a gross misuse of influence and a misplacement of priorities. But the media community has a fair share of the blame of unprotected coverage and incessant private resolution of breach of journalists safety
It is deeply troubling that the NUJ Chairman chose to “resolve” the matter without even ensuring a formal police statement from the accused or demanding a thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation into the assault on Mrs. Enabulele. This casual compounding of violence is dangerous. Normalizing brutality against journalists erodes democratic values and must never be tolerated in any society that claims to uphold the rule of law.
More worrisome is the absence of coverage of the assault which reflects systemic failure in adopting routine safety and accountability practices essential for journalistic work. When a journalist is assaulted at a public event without any video evidence, it exposes a critical gap in the media’s use of basic self-protection and documentation tools.
Again, the assaulted media practitioner falls under the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), the resolution of her case was handled by the male-dominated Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). This intervention, led entirely by men, reflects a broader pattern of patriarchal control within media governance structures.
No society that hopes to thrive can tolerate the intimidation or brutalization of journalists. It leaves much to be desired when the media community fails to document violations against its own members and instead resorts to private, compromise-driven settlements of what is clearly a crime.
The media community in Edo State has weakened its own collective shield and leaves practitioners exposed to the next wave of abuse. Accountability, not silence, is the only protection against the encroaching flood of impunity.
President Aigbokhan, Esq
Lead Counsel
FOI Counsel
08032683434, president@foicounsel.com