By Anayo Okoli.
UMUAHIA – OVER 20 overzealous soldiers involved in the python dance [Egwu Eke] of the Nigerian army derailed from the security maintenance of the programme, left their convoy to invade the Secretariat of the Abia State Council of Nigerian Union of Journalists at No. 1 Aba Road Umuahia and assaulted some journalists.

Nigerian Soldiers

Accusing the journalists of writing against them, the soldiers climbed to the one storey building where the journalists were watching their convoy of ‘Show of Force’ from the balcony of the house, attacked and smashed their handsets and ipad belonging to one of the journalists, Ezeogo Boniface Okoro.

Those they assaulted included the FRCN correspondent, Mr. Lawrence Nwokedi, the Oracle Newspaper Correspondent, Ezeogo Boniface Okoro and the Daily Times correspondent, Mr. sunny Nwakanma, as well the Authority Correspondent, Mr. Chidi Asonye whom they even took his mobile phone.

The soldiers held the journalists hostage for over ten minutes. They accused them of writing “nonsense” against the military and taking unauthorized “photographs” that debase them and make mockery of their assignment in the South East.

They also claimed that of the reporters was recording the ‘Show of Force’ march from the balcony, a claim debunked by the journalists who said that they were on the balcony just to watch the convoy like others who were watching from the ground.