The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Ebonyi State Council, has demanded that the lawmaker representing Afikpo South West State Constituency, Hon. Nkemka Okoro Onuma, should be immediately arrested and prosecuted; otherwise the union would commence street protests against him.

In a press statement signed by the state chairman, Mrs. Fortunate Ozo, the union described as callous and dehumanising, the harassment and injury inflicted on some journalists, especially, a pregnant female journalist while discharging their constitutional duties during the screening of Commissioner-nominees at the Ebonyi State House of Assembly by the lawmaker and his thugs.

Recall that the embattled lawmaker had left his thugs who attacked journalists and inflicted injuries on three of them; Ogochukwu Anioke of The Nation, Samson Nwafor of The Pilot and a pregnant journalist, Mrs. Grace Egbo of The Tribune, who was hit on her stomach and face.

During the melee, Onuma allegedly threatened to prevent journalists from covering the state Assembly, describing them as “touts”.

After attacking the journalists, the thugs also held one of them, Anioke, hostage inside the Assembly premises by ordering the gateman to lock the gate as he made to drive out of the Assembly complex in Nkaliki road Abakaliki.

It took the intervention of the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Tony Nwizi, to prevent further attack on the journalists and vandalisation of their vehicles by forcefully opening the entrance gate which aided their escape.

But NAWOJ in its press statement described the attack as unacceptable and called on the relevant authorities to immediately arrest and prosecute the lawmaker and his thugs to serve as deterrent to others.

“Although we yet to get details of what transpired, it is ridiculous and unspeakable for a lawmaker to behave in a manner not expected of him. For a lawmaker who is an integral part of government to mobilise his thugs to attack innocent journalists is condemnable and despicable.

“Consequently, the attack on journalists, especially the pregnant woman, is totally unacceptable.

“The Association therefore, calls on relevant government authorities to bring the perpetrators of such inhuman and dastard act to book to serve as a deterrent to others. Failure to do this will lead to massive protest by women journalists in Ebonyi State,” the statement read.

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