NUJ Decries Brutality Of Journalists, Protesters In Lagos

By Ayodele Oni

The National Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ) has announced that Journalists and some protesters were molested by security operatives in Lagos last week Wednesday.

The union, in a statement signed by the national secretary, Achike Chude​ stated that “Reports and video evidence confirm that security forces deployed tear gas against a defenseless crowd that remained non-violent throughout their march.

“Such actions are a flagrant violation of Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which guarantees every citizen the right to assemble freely and associate with others.

​​”We strongly condemn the violent dispersal of peaceful protesters and the targeted harassment of journalists by security operatives at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Alausa, on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.

​”Reports indicate that the demonstration was a response by some affected citizens to the demolition of their homes and properties and their forced evictions from their communities in parts of the state.

“As is their responsibility, journalists from different media houses were on ground to witness and report the unfolding events.

“What eventually formed the fulcrum of the reports from the media was the attack perpetrated by the police on both the fourth estate of the realm and citizens who had gathered peacefully to express their frustration and despair at the demolition carried out on their communities by, or at the behest and authorization of the government.

“In a thriving democracy, protest is not a favor granted by the state; it is a fundamental right.

“When the government uses the machinery of the state to silence those it has already displaced, it undermines the very social contract upon which its authority rests.

​”Furthermore, the deliberate targeting of journalists during this incident is a grave threat to press freedom. Media professionals were tear-gassed and harassed despite clearly identifying themselves as press.”

The union reminded the Lagos State Government and the Police Command that Journalists have a constitutional duty under Section 22 to hold the government accountable and report the truth to the public stressing that an attack on a journalist is an attack on the public’s right to know.

​”The use of force to prevent the documentation of state actions by the media is a hallmark of autocracy, not the “Center of Excellence.”

It demanded an investigation into the conduct of the officers deployed to Alausa on January 28 adding that those who gave the orders to fire tear gas canisters on a crowd containing children must be held responsible.

“The various reports from the media at the scene indicate a peaceful, orderly conduct from aggrieved citizens which did not necessitate the use of force and high-handedness under the circumstances.

“But if the authorities have evidence of a wilful act of lawlessness and violence against anyone involved in the protest, the court is the right place for adjudication.”