Investigate attack on Ebonyi Journalists or ..., Practitioners give ultimatum to DSS

The Ebonyi State Indigenous Media Practitioners (ESIMP) have given ultimatum to the Department of State Services (DSS), to investigate a alleged attack on journalists at Ikwuator, Idembia, in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State on August 1, 2026 or face mass protests across Nigeria.

In the petition dated August 5, 2026, and addressed to the Director-General of the DSS, the association said the attack posed a serious threat to press freedom, democratic governance, public order, and the rule of law.

Chairman of the association, Chief Emmanuel Igwe, and its Secretary, Comrade Emeka Okafor, stated that members of the association, alongside other journalists, had attended a public event hosted by Barrister Ifeanyi Nworie to perform their professional duties when they allegedly came under attack.

According to the petition, journalists who arrived at the venue in a branded Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) vehicle were allegedly assaulted by more than 50 armed thugs, some of whom were said to have been identified by eyewitnesses.

The media practitioners alleged that the attackers used dangerous weapons, disrupted the event, physically assaulted journalists, and destroyed working tools and other personal property belonging to members of the press.

The association further claimed that security agencies had been notified of the event before it commenced, raising concerns about the adequacy of security arrangements and whether there was an organised plan to intimidate journalists and suppress legitimate media coverage.

Describing the incident as an assault on constitutional freedoms, the group said attacks on journalists carrying out lawful assignments undermine democracy and threaten internal security.

Among its demands, the association urged the DSS to immediately launch an independent investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the incident and identify all individuals or groups involved in planning, sponsoring, financing, coordinating, or executing the alleged attack.

The petition also called for the arrest and prosecution of anyone found culpable through collaboration with relevant law enforcement agencies. It further requested an investigation into whether an organised conspiracy was behind the incident and asked that stronger intelligence and security measures be put in place to protect journalists across Ebonyi State.

In a separate request, the association urged the DSS headquarters to redeploy the State Director of the Service instead of the Commissioner of Police, while also asking the agency to review the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The group warned that if no meaningful action is taken within seven days of the receipt of the petition, its members would, while acting within the law, embark on peaceful protests in Abuja and Abakaliki and pursue other lawful measures to demand justice.

To support its claims, the association said it attached documentary evidence, including publications relating to the incident, eyewitness statements, photographs, video recordings, and an inventory of damaged equipment belonging to affected journalists.

Copies of the petition were also sent to the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, the Governor of Ebonyi State, the Director of the DSS in Ebonyi State, the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and the Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda.