Journalists assaulted, denied access to National Assembly – Order from above, says Sergeant-at-arms

A chaotic scene unfolded at the National Assembly on Wednesday as security agents allegedly blocked journalists from entering the complex, citing “order from above.”

The Sergeant-at-Arms and police officers on duty refused to allow journalists without accredited identity cards to pass, despite pleas and explanations that the National Assembly’s Information Department had yet to issue permanent ID cards.

Efforts to negotiate access for journalists with temporary identification papers and clearance were unsuccessful, as security personnel remained resolute in their refusal to grant entry.

The situation escalated into chaos, with security personnel resorting to verbal harassment and eventually physically assaulting several journalists.

During the melee, Mudashiru Atanda, a journalist with The Sun, suffered injuries, while Nicolas Kalu from The Nation and Gloria Essien of the Voice of Nigeria, who tried to intervene, were roughly pushed aside by the security personnel.

Amidst the chaos, a security operative confiscated the smartphone of Tolu Akinyemi, an accredited journalist with SuperScreen Television, menacingly warning her that she would never retrieve her device.

Contacted for comment, the Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly denied issuing any directive to restrict journalists’ access to the complex.

Details shortly…