By Ifeoma Ikem
Operatives of the Lagos State Task Force assaulted a journalist, Mr Kasali Akinwale of The Source magazine, around Ikeja Along axis of Lagos State.
The incident happened during an early morning raid on Okada riders around the railway line Ikeja along area in a commando style where they also indiscriminately chased passers-by and pedestrians around the area.
In the ensuing melee, a fleeing okada rider was almost knocked to death by a bus.
The victim who witnessed the scene while approaching the operatives was severely beaten, teargassed, had his clothes torn before been bundled into the waiting black Maria for daring to intervene.
Speaking to Sahara weekly online,the brutalised journalist Akinwale Kasali explained that, they wanted to apprehend an okada man, as they were chasing him, he was almost knocked down by an oncoming bus.
He approached the policemen that they should be careful in the cause of carrying out their duties. instead they pounced on him, teargassed his face and started beating him severely.
He said that the task force men also threatened that they were ready to rope him and send him to prison, nothing that they know he was a journalist that he should do whatever he likes adding that they were in the order of the state Governor Mr Babajide Sanwo Olu.
Remarks shows that one ACP Sars in an occasion also explained his ordeal while driving that the way they treated a woman during which the task force men were carrying out their duties was too bad.
Anonymously, a lady who does not want her name mentioned, conformed that the state government should caution the task because what they go about saying is that the order was from the state Governor.