Suspected thugs, on Thursday, attacked some residents of Asaba, taking part in the peaceful nationwide hunger protest and four journalists covering the street march by the protesters.

The journalists, who were manhandled by the thugs, included Mathew Ochei of the Punch, Monday Osayande of the Guardian, the Pointer reporter, Lucy, and an Asaba-based investigative journalist, Amour Udemude.

The protesters accused the state government of hiring the thugs “to disrupt the protest”.

The protest, which started around 10 a.m., was initially peaceful.

It later turned violent when the thugs arrived at about 11:20 a.m. and started attacking and dispersing the protesters while the security operatives deployed to ensure that the action was not hijacked by hoodlums allegedly watched.

Narrating his experience, the Punch reporter said that the thugs hit him in the neck.

“They smashed our phones on the ground after they insisted that we must delete the photos and records before they would leave us.

“The policemen on ground folded their hands and watched as we were violently attacked by the thugs.

“It took the intervention of soldiers, who arrived at the scene, to rescue us.

“This was after the Pointer Newspaper reporter, Lucy, who was also attacked by the thugs, rushed to the soldiers for help,” Mr Ochei said.

It was further learnt that after the attack, the policemen opened teargas to disperse the protesters around 12:20 p.m. at the Inter Bua Roundabout on Okpanam Road.

The protest, which started with two young men carrying placards, later drew no fewer than 50 other protesters carrying placards with the inscription, #EndBadGovernance#, hardship everywhere, hunger in the land”, among others.

One of the protesters, Gibson Umunna, told journalists that he was compelled to join the protest due to the economic hardship facing Nigerians.

“I am here to join the protest because I am a victim of the harsh economic reality facing the citizens.

“Citizens are living in despair, no food, no security, no job, and to worsen it all, petrol price skyrocketed in a nation of abundant resources,” Mr Umunna said.

In a reaction, the Delta government denied the allegation that it sponsored the thugs that attacked the protesters and journalists covering the action.

The commissioner for information, Dr Ifeanyi Osuoza, told journalists that “there is no iota of truth that the thugs were sponsored by the state government.”

Mr Osuoza said that the administration of Gov. Sherrif Oborevwori had nothing against the protest and never made any plan or arrangement to stop it.

“We are very sorry for this unfortunate incident.

“The state government has no hand in the attack and no one sent the attackers.

“As a government, we want to express our heartfelt condolences over this attack on journalists.

“Also, the PDP did not send anybody to disrupt the protest because I called the PDP chairman and he confirmed there was no such plan to stop the protest by the party.

“Even the state governor himself is never a violent man.

“The government has no business in disrupting the protest because, by law, the citizens have a right to protest.

“Our only concern and prayer is that the protest should not be hijacked and turned violent. We are sorry for the whole incident.”

Also, the chief press secretary, Festus Ahon, expressed dismay over the media reports linking the state government with the attack on journalists.

“Let me put the record straight, the attackers were not sponsored by the state government nor the state PDP.

“They went there on their own, maybe out of overzealousness.

“The state government has no hand in what happened and we condemn the attack in its entirety,” Mr Ahon said.

When contacted, the spokesman for the state police command, SP Bright Edafe, said he was not aware of the incident because he was not at the scene.

“I cannot say what actually happened during the protest because I was not there,” Mr Edafe said.

(NAN)