A civil society group, Edo State Civil Society Coalition for Human Rights, has joined the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in calling for the arrest, investigation and prosecution of one Kelly Okungbowa, a street urchin cum political thug, who is known as Ebo Stone and associated with the Edo State Government, for attacking a journalist on duty.
In a Press Statement signed by Marxist Kola Edokpayi, Coordinator General of the group and Comrade Aghatise Raphael its Secretary General, the group vehemently repudiated what it tags “the egregious and notorious act of physical assault perpetrated by one Kelly Okungbowa, widely known as Ebo Stone, against Mrs. Juliet Enabulele, a journalist affiliated with the Office of the First Lady at the Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS)” adding “this deplorable act constitutes a flagrant violation of the right to human dignity, press freedom, and the rule of law.”
According to the group, “it is profoundly alarming that an individual occupying a prominent stakeholder position within Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration could engage in such brazen, reprehensible conduct—utterly incompatible with civic responsibility.
“More disconcerting is the ostensible celebration of ‘digital slaps’ by certain top government officials, thereby normalizing aggression, valorizing impunity, and emboldening notorious actors to perpetrate violence with reckless abandon. How can a sane person celebrate a slapper?
“At this time, when Edo State is contending with a pervasive high level of insecurity, it is unconscionable that human energy is squandered on assaulting unarmed women rather than safeguarding citizens from existential threats.”
Going further, the group urged Governor Monday Okpebholo “to unequivocally distance himself from this reckless act of impunity which demeans the office of the First Lady and undermines the ethical standards of governance. Leadership necessitates accountability, moral rectitude, and the unwavering defense of human rights.
“This assault is a blatant contravention of Sections 34 and 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended), which enshrine the inviolable rights to human dignity and freedom of expression.”
The group demanded “with utmost urgency: A transparent and impartial investigation into this reprehensible assault; public denunciation of the pernicious ‘digital slap’ culture validated by prominent political actors in Edo State; formal apology to Mrs. Enabulele and the Edo Broadcasting Service and enhanced protective mechanisms for journalists across Edo State.”
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