NANS debunks claims of journalist’s harassment, intimidation by Ogun gov’s aide

The student body, therefore, faulted the declaration of Comrade Azeez Adeyemi as persona non grata and the blacklisting of coverage of NANS activities in the state by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Council.

The decision, according to the Ogun NUJ in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Comrades Wale Olanrewaju and Bunmi Adigun, respectively, on Tuesday, 23 June 2025, was to protest what they termed as “harassment and intimidation” of a journalist and member of the Union, Olajide Osoba, by the Special Assistant.

The statement alleged that Comrade Adeyemi laid siege to the Iwe Irohin Secretariat of the Ogun NUJ, using police operatives and members of NANS in an attempt to whisk Osoba away—an allegation NANS described as false and an attempt to paint the SA and NANS in a bad light.

Chairman of Ogun NANS, Comrade Gabriel Abiola Francis, in a statement on Tuesday, said for the record, neither Adeyemi nor NANS members laid ambush for Osoba at Iwe Irohin as alleged by the NUJ. Rather, police operatives were there last week to perform their constitutional duty.

Part of the NANS statement, in an attempt to make clarifications, read:
“As a law-abiding citizen of Nigeria and an illustrious son of Ogun State, Comrade Adeyemi reported a case of false allegation made against him by Osoba at the police station, hence his invitation by the police. Though we are not lawyers, as educated Nigerians, we know that when you allege, then you must prove.

“Also, when your constitutional rights are infringed upon, you are free to seek redress in a competent court of law.

“It will be recalled that Osoba alleged that some students and members of NANS in the state, at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, during the May Day celebration, attacked and physically assaulted him.

“He specifically claimed that Comrade Adeyemi ordered his boys to beat him up, and this falsehood, supervised by the Ogun NUJ, was widely circulated and reported in the media.

“To ascertain the truth behind the incident, Comrade Adeyemi ordered the NANS members who were at the June 12 Cultural Centre to move straight to Iwe Irohin and clear themselves of the allegation. The idea behind this was to enable Osoba to identify just one of us as the culprit.

“But to our surprise, Osoba could not identify any of us as his attacker at the event.

“It is shameful that the supposed victim, up till this moment, cannot substantiate his claim. Instead of providing concrete evidence, he began a campaign of calumny and spreading lies.

“As student leaders who have a close working relationship with journalists in the state, we know that this is not the first time Osoba will be crying wolf where there was none.

“This is the main reason the decision of the Ogun NUJ on this matter came as a surprise to Ogun NANS, particularly when Osoba is reputed for peddling false allegations.

“We strongly believe that any serious persons or organisations should not swallow Osoba’s lies hook, line, and sinker, when events over time have proved him to be unserious, unreliable, and unscrupulous.

“What followed, however, was the announcement of a temporary blacklist on the coverage of activities of NANS in the state, ordered by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Council.

“Despite our claims that Osoba’s allegation was spurious and a feeble attempt to call the dog a bad name in order to hang it, Ogun NUJ, without a fair hearing and solid evidence, implemented the directive.

“Therefore, it came to us as a surprise that a decision of that nature could be taken by the Ogun NUJ against NANS without proper and unbiased investigation, despite decades of working relationship between NANS and the NUJ.

“Though not perturbed by the decision of the Ogun NUJ, NANS continued its activities in the state and received the needed media reportage.

“Perhaps, the Special Assistant was not pleased with the false allegation against his person and decided to take the matter further by reporting it to the appropriate authorities.

“But to our surprise, Ogun NUJ, rather than allowing the law to take its course, resorted to subtle blackmail by declaring the SA and NANS persona non grata. Like we said above, we are not perturbed by the use of this usual cliché by the leadership of NUJ in the state.”

“This same declaration was made by the Union against the administration of the incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun. Therefore, we remain unfazed and resolute. No matter the blackmail against our leader in any form, it will not deter him from seeking redress in court to clear his name and that of NANS, which is being smeared by Osoba’s falsehood.

“Also, the name of the state governor must not be dragged into the matter – Comrade Adeyemi is an individual who has a right under the law of the land to sue and be sued. This is his own fight and not that of the state governor or government.

“Therefore, Comrade Adeyemi will not be cowed or shaken by the directive of the Ogun NUJ. Rather, he will be more resilient in pursuing justice against Jide Osoba’s allegation, which is capable of damaging his reputation and that of his family.

“Ogun NUJ should know that, as a student activist with decades of struggle against injustice as a NANS leader, Comrade Adeyemi cannot be prevented from seeking justice and doing everything necessary to clear his name and protect his integrity, irrespective of the mudslinging and irascible blackmail by the Ogun NUJ,” it stated.

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