Journalist brutalised by soldiers over right of way

November 4, 2015 12:57 AM

Trouble started for Iheaka who was on his way to an assignment at Umuode area of the city when he came face to face with a group of soldiers in a patrol van, marked Army 014

Ijendu Iheaka brutalised by soldiers

Some unidentified soldiers have been reported to have beaten up an Aba correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria, Ijendu Iheaka, over right of way.

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According to reports, trouble started for Iheaka who was on his way to an assignment at Umuode area of the city when he came face to face with a group of soldiers in a patrol van, marked Army 014, at a muddy portion of the road, close to Winners Church, along the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway.

Iheaka reported the case, saying:

“I got to a muddy portion of the road and even waited for the coming vehicle to pass before stepping in to wade through the spot. The soldiers van came into the same portion when I had already gone half way.

"There was no safe place to make way for them to pass in the mud. Before I know what was happening, the driver started shouting, ‘waka, waka’, pointing his fingers at me while others came out and started beating me.

"They used the nozzle of their guns to hit my knees and tore my shirt. After they left, I couldn’t even walk, a good Samaritan assisted me to a tricycle which took me home. I have contacted the military authorities in Aba, they promised to investigate; yet nothing has come out of it.”

Iheaka revealed to Vanguard that apart from the swollen knees and torn shirts, the soldiers would have inflicted more injuries on him but for passersby' who pleaded that he should be left alone.

They later assisted in cleaning him up after his attackers left the scene.

Read: Journalist, others narrate ordeal after abduction and torture by police

Iheaka is yet to resume work as he is still nursing the injuries sustained from the attack.