Declares AZEEZ ADEYEMI persona non grata
The Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ogun State Council has called on the Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun to caution his Special Assistant on Students Affairs, Mr Azeez Adeyemi and call him to order over alleged abuse of power and harassment of a journalist.
This is contained in a statement signed by Chairman, NUJ Ogun State Council, Comrade Wale Olanrewaju and the Secretary, Comrade Bunmi Adigun.
The statement alleged the Governor’s aide of unjustifiable and condemnable acts of harassment, intimidation, and defamation of character on a member of the Union, Comrade Olajide Osoba using a group of individuals believed to be members and affiliates of his own dreaded faction of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
The statement reads, This utterly unacceptable act began from the 2025 May 1st celebration which our Union, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), an affiliate Union of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) actively participated with her members. Comrade Osoba, a bonafide member of the NUJ, was in attendance but later harassed, mercilessly beaten and seriously wounded, allegedly, on the directive of the Special Assistant to the Governor on Student Affairs, Comrade Azeez Adeyemi, while coming out of the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, without a cause.
“This unfortunate case, Comrade Osoba, incidented at the Ibara Divisional Police Station, Ibara, Abeokuta. Following his invitation for inquiry by the police from Ibara Divisional Police Station, the S.A has left no stone unturned in his intentional attempt to harass, intimidate and coerce Olajide Osoba, as he embarked on retaliatory moves by writing two frivolous petitions in which he directly called Olajide Osoba a member of a dreaded cult group, and asked the police to hunt and arrest the journalist using his office as Special Assistant to Governor as basis for this oppression.
“Last week only, police officers from the State Headquarters, Eleweran, came to arrest Osoba, waiting on him from morning till night so as to be whisked away even without prior invitation. In the same vein, officers from the Abeokuta division of the office of the AIG, Zone 2, Lagos, came with another letter of invitation while Adeyemi’s boys also continually laid siege for Osoba at the Iwe Iroyin Press Centre.
“This utterly uncivilized behaviour from the Special Assistant cannot be tolerated in a democratic society, granted that any form of assault on a journalist is an affront to the fundamental principles of press freedom and the right of citizens to access accurate and unbiased information. The press must remain free, unshackled, and empowered to fulfill its vital role in society.
“It is deeply concerning that an individual entrusted with the responsibility of upholding law and order would resort to using excessive force and intimidation against journalists. Such actions not only undermine the integrity of the media but also erode the trust between the government and the people it serves.
Subsequently, the union has declared Azeez Adeyemi, his faction of the NANS members, and their accomplices persona non grata and banned within and around the Union’s Secretariat, Iwe Iroyin Press House, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta.
It further called on the police not to allow the overzealous aide to use the noble force to harass journalist.
