Immigration officers assault journalist in Edo

Some officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service on Wednesday assaulted a journalist with the News Agency of Nigeria, Joy Odigie, based in Benin, the Edo State capital.

Our correspondent learnt that a female officer also discriminated against Odigie, calling her a “stupid albino”, in reference to her albinism condition.

Odigie visited the Edo State Command of the service to interview its Public Relations Officer, Ake Kenneth, on the reported burglary of offices of the command at the weekend.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the offices burgled by hoodlums included the border unit, technical section and the National Identification Number office.

The burglars also vandalised some electrical cables and equipment in some other offices and carted away some items including money kept in a safe.

However, one of the perpetrators was said to have been apprehended by some officers on duty on Monday.

Our correspondent learnt that as Odigie was moving in to the building after being cleared by the security at the entrance, the officers, who were at the reception, queried her mission at the command.

When speaking with PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, she said, “I had passed through the security men in front of the office when I heard some officers shouting, ‘Excuse me.’

“I was already on the staircase, but when I realised that I was the person being called, I came down from the staircase.

“I told them that I was a journalist and wanted to see the PRO and one of them answered that he knew I was a journalist and started shouting that he wanted to search me, that I could be carrying a bomb.

“I told him that since he knew that I was a journalist, he should allow me go and see the PRO rather than embarrass me.”

She further disclosed that the officer said she should meet an officer to educate her more noting that when it was becoming more embarrassing, she told him she wasn’t going to meet the officer.

“By this time, more officers came to the scene and a female officer said, ‘Oga is calling you’ and I asked for the name of the Oga.

“Surprisingly, the lady replied, “You are disrespecting my Oga, you this stupid albino’, a derogatory and discriminatory word for a person with albinism,” Odigie narrated.

Odigie said when she expressed her reservations over the uncouth word used on her, other officers descended on her and confiscated her belongings.

She added, “One of the officers with a gun dragged me by the arm and pulled me outside the office. The umbrella I was holding fell from my hand and was collected by another officer.

“I left the office and put a call across to the PRO of the service, who then came to my rescue and he asked that my umbrella and other belongings be given back to me,” said Odigie.

When contacted, the PRO apologised, saying he had extended the same to the journalist.