Police Assault THE WHISTLER Female Reporter, Parade Her As Criminal For Filming Illegal Raid Of BDCs In Abuja

…IGP, FCT Police Command Deny Operation

A reporter with THE WHISTLER newspaper, Kasarahchi Anaigolu, was on Wednesday assaulted, threatened and is currently in the custody of the Anti-Violence Crime Unit of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, Guzape.

Anaigolu, while monitoring a raid on Bureau de Change operators by a yet-to-be-identified unit of the police, was arrested along with over 95 forex traders at the Wuse Zone 4 area of the FCT.

The reporter raised the alarm of her arrest at 1:17 pm, detailing the circumstances that led to her arrest.

“I have been arrested and I am at the SARS headquarters (FCT Anti-violence Crime Unit). I was arrested for recording the raid on the Bureau de Change guys.

“Please, I need help, these people have dealt with me. Please, let everyone know that they were picking up Bureau de Change operators and I was about to video them.

“They hit my phone and picked it. They confiscated my laptop and they are parading me like a criminal gang” Anaigolu said in a series of voice note messages via WhatsApp.

The reporter, despite identifying herself as a journalist, was manhandled. “They hit me, broke my ID pouch. Told me I will be killed and nothing will happen,” Anaigholu added.

THE WHISTLER contacted the Nigeria Police Force headquarters and its spokesperson, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, denied knowledge of the operation.

Muyiwa told THE WHISTLER, “The operation is within the jurisdiction of the FCT command. The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) cannot stoop so low to direct such an operation. What is our business there?”

The NPF spokesperson insisted that the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) who executed the operation neither used operatives of the IGP nor its IRT unit, and as such the IGP had no hand in the operation.

Similarly, the FCT Police Command and its spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said there was no known operation executed by the FCT Command.

“We are not aware of any operation. We did not carry out any operation, and it is surprising because our facility is being used to parade the suspects,” Josephine said.

THE WHISTLER then proceeded to the Anti-Violence unit (former SARS office) in Guzape, trailing a live location provided by the reporter.

When members of management arrived at the Anti-Violence Unit where the reporter is suspected to be detained, the officers at the entrance refused them passage on flimsy excuses.

However, there were conflicting reports surrounding the situation as some officers in the FCT Command who did not want to be identified pointed fingers at the former FCT Police Commissioner and current Assistant Inspector-General Police in charge of Armament, AIG Haruna Garba.

According to the sources, the operation was carried out without the knowledge of the FCT Police Command.

The management of THE WHISTLER has lost contact with the reporter as of press time.

Since the spokesperson of the police force absolved the IGP, and the FCT Police command said it is unaware of the operation, what begs the question is how an AIG in charge of Armament, AIG Haruna Garba who has no operational role lead an operation in the seat of power without the knowledge of the IGP or the Police command?