Rights groups petition police over alleged attack on protesters, journalists in Ibadan

A coalition of lawyers, rights activists, and civil society organisations has petitioned the Oyo State Police Command, calling for an investigation into an alleged violent attack on protesters and journalists during a demonstration in Ibadan.

The petition, dated June 4, 2026, named the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Akinteye Babatunde; the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Students’ Affairs, Victor Olojede; and one Alimi Yusuf, also known as Decimal, as being involved in the disruption.

The demonstration, held on June 2, was organised to demand the rescue of abducted pupils, teachers, and a school principal in Oyo State. According to the petitioners, the march started peacefully from Mokola but was attacked in the Bodija area by a group led by the named individuals.

The petition alleged that several protesters were assaulted and injured, vehicles were vandalised, and mobile phones were stolen. Gunshots were reportedly fired, causing panic among demonstrators.

Journalists covering the event were also allegedly attacked. A reporter with Agidigbo FM, Moshood Suara, was said to have been beaten and his clothes torn.

More serious allegations involved a female photojournalist and documentarian, Odunayo Odedoyin. The petition claimed her camera was forcibly seized and later returned damaged, with the memory card missing. She was allegedly forced into a NANS bus against her will, where she was subjected to sexual harassment, intimidation, and unlawful detention.

The petitioners urged the police to investigate the incidents, invite those named for questioning, prosecute offenders, recover stolen property, probe the use of firearms, and look into the alleged assault on journalists and the treatment of the female photojournalist.

They argued that the intervention was necessary to protect constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and press freedom.