[size=14pt]“I will shoot you! Do you think you are special?”: Two Nigerian journalists brutalised by South African police[/size]

Posted By TheScoop on February 13, 2013


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by Dare Lawal


On the day the Super Eagles of Nigeria left South Africa and arrived Nigeria for their well deserved reception, two Nigerian journalists covering the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) were “kicked, dragged on the ground, threatened with cocked guns and forcibly detained for two hours” by officers of the South African police in Johannesburg while on their way to cover the departure of the victorious Super Eagles team.

The two correspondents, Debo Oshudun of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) for Central and Southern Africa and John Joshua Akanji, a Deputy Editor of The Sun Newspapers were on their way to the departure louge when suddenly about 20 fully armed police officers surrounded them as they alighted from the taxi which they boarded. The officers threatened to shoot them after they insisted that they were journalists.

“I thank God we are still alive because we could have been shot, knowing the type of (extra-) judicial killings in South Africa. I have never been in that situation in my life. I was dragged on the floor, kicked and brutalised. I and John Joshua-Akanji were disposed of our phones, my keys and we couldn’t contact anybody. We were detained for two hours and I was really traumatised throughout the time the police dealt with us and still imagining it up till now.

“The police claimed that they stopped our car because the taxi we were in had a number plate with two different characters. Immediately they stopped us they removed the number plate. They lied that they had been trailing us,” Oshundun told SportingLife in an interview on Tuesday afternoon.

Also speaking, The Sun Newspaper Deputy Editor, Joshua-Akanji said:

“I was in a trance. I thought I was acting out a movie. I never thought it was for real. I have never seen a thing like this in all my life. But I am happy to be alive to tell the story”, the visibly shaken journalist disclosed. 20 policemen, who had already cocked their guns and pointed them to my head and my colleague Oshundun’s, were shouting ‘I will shoot you, I will shoot you. Who are you? Do you think you are special? I will blast your brains off’”, Joshua-Akanji revealed.

South African police are notorious for their high-handedness. Last year, several South African mine workers were killed by the police during a protest in Marikana, a case which caught worldwide attention.

The Nigerian duo were later apologised to by Lieutenant Colonel M. F. Tshabalala station commander, Sandringham Command South African Police Service, SAPS, after the intervention of the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg.

The journalists were however full of commendation for their South African cab driver, Hope. They told Sporting Life that Hope rose to their defence following the police brutality. ”These men are responsible journalists that have come here to cover the AFCON. They are like brothers to me. I ate and dinned with them. They have been wonderful to me as a South African. Why are you treating them this way? It’s not fair! it’s not fair!”, Hope is said to have cried out while the policemen were brutalising the journalists.

Dondav:
What da fuq are u talking about?... They are murdering Nigerians everyday and you're here spewing out trash!

Dondav: The reason why they hate is because they lack Normal sense of Reasoning! The aparthied has severly damaged their sense of Reasoning. They lack required mode of reasoning to be Human. They raped someone last night in my area And they murder people for no damn reason. They don't value life at all. They deserve to be separated from humans

andrewza:

We don't see you has "IMPERIALIST IN THE MAKING" there are no nigerian copertions or buissness in SA we have never seen any milltary action from you down here or any thing to show for your so called power.

You could try but such a wide and open law suite would fail. Best is to press charges on the cops who did the assualt. You could win illeagal dention, discrimtion, assualt, intmdation.

tonididdy: guy go preach for boko haram camp...those journalist probably were stamping on the wrong ground

Dondav:
How about you go to SA and see for yourself?

omo_to_dun:
Instead of insulting the poster, you should have explained why he was wrong instead of praying for him to die. God is not an assassin. Prayers are not meant to be used to ruin other people's lives.

As much as his words were hurtful, they were true. I'd rather suffer injustice in the hands of a South African police than a Nigerian Police.

Jetland: Doz people really hate 9aija eeh.

Not only hate, but ENVY and JEALOUSY! fv*cking SA b!7ches

kgr28: Nigerians want to be on top, gave themselves big brother title, arrogant, hard to convince, too loud, think they knw shyt. The sooner you get the fvck out of SA the better...and yr shyt hole nigeria did not do fvck all for SA. You can rant all you want about SA the fact is you are not welcomed in SA...If SA is that Bad stop moaning and get the fvck out simple.

Dondav:
Shut your $hit hole... F.u.ckn gay. The world doesn't belong to one nation. People will always move in and out different countries. Baboons like you are d sick people driving SA backwards. F.u.ckn R.e.tard.

Banku&Tilapia:
Typical nigerian bashing, oh every1 hate us, deh envy us cus we r da giant of Africa, oh we helped dem during apartheid ............blah blah blah

kgr28: yeah...move in and out, and I am a f vck retard...if a country is nt suitable for your well being get the fvck out simple... Nigerians just pisses everyone in the world, there s just somethng that people hate about you, you are nt likable people.

Do u like the Americans then?? If not, the same reason why people dislike them is the same reason people dislike Nigerians... "POWERFUL and WEALTHY!".