Joseph Bakare
The Coalition for Whistleblower Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF) strongly condemns the alleged violent physical assault, harassment, unlawful seizure, and destruction of working tools belonging to Sunday Michael Ogwu, Editor of Pinnacle Daily, by officers of the Nigeria Police Force, supervised and led by the DPO of the Lugbe Police Division and members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN).
According to a personal account shared with the coalition, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at about 5:30 PM, Mr. Ogwu was taking a stroll around the Lugbe Federal Housing Estate (FHA) area in Abuja when he encountered a joint demolition exercise. The operation involved about four Hilux patrol vans bearing the inscription “Lugbe Police Division” alongside VGN members identifiable by their brown outfits and logos. Upon bringing out his mobile phone to document the exercise, a police officer forcibly snatched the device without warning and despite repeatedly identifying himself as a journalist and attempting to speak with the team leader, the police officers surrounded him, arrested local youths, and demanded that Mr. Ogwu also get into a patrol van. When he refused on the grounds that he was a journalist and not a criminal, the officers flogged him with an electric cable on the instruction of the officer in charge for non-compliance.
In a further demonstration of impunity, after his phone was returned and he was told to leave, Mr. Ogwu walked approximately 100 metres away to record a video documenting the assault and send a distress message to his media organisation. Noticing that he was recording again, the police officers ran after him, dragged him back to the demolition site, and subjected him to a second round of flogging on the explicit order of the officer in charge, who declared that the first beating “was not enough”. The violent assault resulted in physical injury and severe damage to his phone before intervening passersby urged him to leave for his safety.
CWPPF finds the unprovoked brutality and lawlessness of operatives of the Lugbe Police Division deeply unsettling and unacceptable. Documenting public operations conducted by state agents is a constitutionally protected right, not a criminal offence. It is therefore worrisome that police officers, duty-bound to enforce law and order, would resort to using electric cables to torture a journalist for performing his civic and professional duties.
This unlawful attack on Mr. Ogwu by the police officers severely damages Nigeria’s standing on the global press freedom index and contradicts public assurances by police leadership regarding respect for human rights and press freedom.
We reiterate firmly that journalism is not a crime and that the duty of the press to hold public institutions accountable is guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution. We, therefore, call on the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and the FCT Police Command to:Order an immediate transparent investigation into the incident to identify, arrest, and discipline the police officers and VGN personnel involved in the assault on Sunday Michael Ogwu.
Provide full compensation to Mr. Ogwu for his damaged mobile phone and cover all medical expenses incurred due to the physical assault.
Issue a formal public apology to Sunday Michael Ogwu and the management of Pinnacle Daily for the unlawful attack and destruction of property.
Direct all police divisions across the FCT to immediately cease the intimidation, harassment, and physical assault of journalists covering public events.
The CWPPF wishes to reiterate its commitment to ensuring a free and safe environment for journalists to discharge their constitutional duties without any fear of retaliation, intimidation or harassment.