Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Hakeem Odumosu has warned police officers and other security agents on enforcement duty of Curfew in the state not to disturb the activities of media organizations as they are on essential duty.
CP Odumosu said newsmen in Lagos are part of essential services providers; therefore, they are not affected by the curfew in the city.
Lagos State police public relations officer, DSP Bala Elkana, however, dispelled the rumors making round that journalists were being harassed by police operatives in Lagos.
According to Elkana: “The attention of the Lagos State police command has been drawn to insinuations making the rounds that journalists are not part of the essential duties personnel allowed to drive or move around during the curfew in the State.
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“The Command wishes to state clearly, that journalists have significant roles to play as explained by the Federal Government, that journalists are part of those “essential workers” in combating the spread of the Coronavirus.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu has on several occasions stated that he never mentioned journalists as not being part of the essential duty workers.
“It would be recalled that the CP during the odd hours had paved ways for journalists trapped in the traffic in the State. For example, Journalists from Channels TV, Lagos Television, and others. These journalists were caught up in long stretched traffic and the CP personally alighted to clear the traffic for them so as to ease their movements; this is at odd hours of the day
“CP Odumosu had earlier, also cleared some Newspapers Circulation Vans who were held up in the traffic as a result of the curfew in the state. The Newspaper agents were immediately cleared as part of “essential duty workers” thus posing the question as to why a journalist would not be cleared as an essential duty.
“In this period when the COVID-19 pandemic rages, information via the fourth estate of the realm is essential, as the public needs to be reached with relevant and timely information via all available mediums. This makes the role of journalists key in the fight to overcome this pandemic ravaging the whole world.
“The command wishes to state unequivocally that every journalist with a valid identity card is certified to move and discharge his or her duty as an essential duty officer. All Policemen and security agents are hereby instructed to cooperate with and accord journalists and other essential duty workers such as medical personnel, oil and gas personnel, key banking sector workers, etc, the right to free movement without delay.
“The Command’s position is well expressed in this directive. More so, that we would able to work together and concertedly to achieve success over the COVID-19 pandemic”.
