By Ishaya Ibrahim
A personal assistant to the wife of the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Oluremi Hamzat, has attacked a journalist with the Daily Report, Pelu Awofeso and damaged his phone.
Awofeso, a winner of the CNN Africa Journalist Award, was assaulted by the aide at the Oregun Recreation Park when he tried to take a picture of the deputy governor’s wife during the Lagos State Tree Planting day on Sunday, July 14.
Remi Hamzat had represented the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu and his wife, Ibijoke at the tree planting ceremony.
“I got there as she was rounding off her speech (a message from Governor Jide Sanwo-Olu). Then she moved to the designated location for the ceremonial tree planting with the other dignitaries.
“I brought out my phone to take photos and shoot a few clips for the story I planned to write for The Daily Report.ng. To my utmost shock, Mrs Hamzat’s PA reached out and hit my phone to the ground, saying smartphone recordings were not allowed,” Awofeso said.
The personal aide, a lady whose name could not be ascertained as at the time of writing this report, proceeded to give Awofeso a lecture on what device he should use to do his job.
“You have to get a proper camera like the other journalists,” she said, unperturbed that she had just damaged his phone.
Awofeso said he was stunned at the behaviour of the lady that he could no longer continue with the assignment.
“I simply stood aside and observed the rest of the proceedings. I couldn’t believe that in this day and age, an aide to a top government official would not realise that there is such a thing as smartphone journalism,” he said.
