A journalist with MITV, Habeeb Adejobi, has alleged that he was assaulted by security operatives and others at the Kosofe Local Government Secretariat in Lagos while attempting to cover the screening of newly appointed supervisors and special advisers.
Adejobi claimed the incident occurred on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at about 4 p.m., when he visited the council secretariat to report on the screening exercise as part of his professional duties.
According to him, he received a tip from a senior colleague that the screening of newly appointed political office holders was taking place and decided to cover the event.
“As a journalist, that is exactly the kind of civic process we are expected to cover, so I headed to the secretariat,” he said.
Adejobi explained that upon arriving at the premises, he attempted to contact the Chairman of Kosofe Local Government, Moyosore Ogunlewe, and the council’s information officer to notify them of his presence but was unable to reach them.
He said he later contacted a councillor who confirmed that the screening was ongoing, after which he decided to wait within the premises and set up his camera in anticipation of interviewing councillors and the cleared nominees once the session ended.
However, the situation reportedly changed shortly afterwards.
“A man approached me and asked if I was the journalist. When I confirmed, he said the chairman had instructed that I should leave the premises,” Adejobi recounted.
He said he tried to explain that he had already sent a message informing the chairman of his presence and requested to see him for clarification.
According to Adejobi, the chairman arrived shortly afterwards and demanded his identification card.
“The first thing he asked for was my identification card. Unfortunately, I did not have it with me at that moment. Without further discussion, he instructed some people around him to seize my cameras,” he alleged.
Adejobi claimed the situation quickly escalated into violence.
“Right there in the presence of the chairman, the man who first approached me suddenly began to hit me,” he said.
“He struck me with a plank, and officers of the NSCDC attached to what they called a ‘Special Task Force’ joined in. They punched and hit me from different directions.”
He further alleged that during the assault he was ordered to delete photographs from his camera.
“I kept asking them if it had become a crime to come to a public institution to cover an event,” he said.
Adejobi said he was later taken away from the secretariat by a security official and transported to Area H Police Station, where his mobile phone was seized.
According to him, he was brought before the Divisional Police Officer in the presence of the chairman’s Chief of Staff, Abiola Akinola.
He said the DPO later allowed him to leave the station to seek medical attention after observing his condition.
“The pain in my body was unbearable throughout the night. By the following day, I had to visit a clinic where I received medical treatment,” he said, adding that his camera was also damaged during the incident.
The journalist expressed shock over the development, saying he never expected such an incident to occur in the presence of the council chairman.
“What hurts me most is not just the beating. I never imagined that the chairman of Kosofe could act in such a manner,” he said.
“I know him to be an educated person and a lawyer, and also the son of a respected political leader in the state, Adeseye Ogunlewe, a former minister.”
Adejobi also dismissed claims that he was a fake journalist or had ulterior motives.
“I was shocked to hear that I was described as a fake journalist. That claim is completely untrue. I have covered events at the Kosofe council before on behalf of MITV,” he said.
“Even more disturbing was the claim that I was an assassin sent by political enemies. An assassin with a camera?”
Meanwhile, some political observers and party members have alleged that the incident is not isolated, citing previous cases of violence allegedly linked to individuals believed to be loyal to the council chairman.
One such incident reportedly involved a party chieftain, Kehinde Saka, who was allegedly attacked at the APC Secretariat in ACME shortly after a ward congress.
In another case, two party members identified as Kemac and Oluaye were reportedly assaulted during a local government meeting in Ojota.
Residents in the Ojota area also recalled an incident involving a woman popularly known as Iya Niyi, whose shop was allegedly invaded by armed men who reportedly fired shots during the attack.
However, Ogunlewe has denied the allegations.
In a response circulating online, the council chairman stated that the journalist was questioned because he could not provide identification to confirm that he was a genuine journalist.
“I just saw a man setting up a camera on the premises and asked where he was from. He said he came from a TV station but had no identification card to prove he was a genuine journalist,” Ogunlewe said.
“We took him to Ogudu Police Station to give a statement after he was unable to produce any identification.”
The incident has since generated reactions among journalists and political observers, raising concerns about press freedom and the safety of media practitioners while carrying out their professional duties.