FORCE Public Relations Officer (FPRO) of the Nigeria Police Olumuyiwa Adejobi has said the posting of the Katsina State police public relations officer (PPRO) Gambo Isah is unconnected to allegations of assault that a female journalist Rukayya Jibia levelled against him.
Speaking to The ICIR on Sunday, May 28, Adejobi said Isah’s posting was part of a routine reshufflement within the public relations unit of the force.
“I don’t see anything special in the allegations made on her TikTok platform. It is not even a matter that the headquarters will take seriously. The public relations officer (PRO) in Katsina has been promoted to CSP (chief superintendent of police) and a CSP will not be in charge of a Command.
“As a CSP, he can be in charge of a Zone, and that is why he has been moved to Zone 14 Katsina. It has nothing to do with the allegations,” Adejobi said.
Isah had announced on Saturday, May 27, that he had been transferred from his position as PRO of the state police command in a new posting by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba.
In a post via his official Twitter handle on Saturday, May 27, Isah said he had been assigned a new role as PPRO for Zone 14 in Katsina state.
“After 7yrs of excellent stewardship as PPRO Katsina Police command and with my subsequent elevation to the rank of CSP, the Inspector-General of Police has ordered my posting as PPRO Zone 14, Katsina. I will be supervising the Public Relations units of Katsina and Kaduna states command,” Isah posted on Saturday.
The posting came a few days after Jibia accused him of assault, which led to speculations that both incidents were linked.
The journalist, who works with Cliqq TV in Katsina, said she was assaulted by policemen attached to the state police command, led by Isah.
In a video circulating on social media, Jibia said she was assaulted for speaking up against the parade of four young women arrested over alleged prostitution by the police, though the ladies had not been convicted or tried.
She added that Isah personally dragged her out of her car, twisting her arm in the process and smashed her phone on the floor.
She also said there were, at least, 20 policemen present during the assault, after which she was detained for about five hours.
Reacting to Jibia’s allegations through a statement on Twitter, Isah described them as frivolous, adding that the journalist had been maliciously attacking the police via social media.
The assault attracted criticisms from Nigerians, including human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, who, in an interview with The ICIR, described it as “outrageous.”
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.
What i understood about the case is- That Gambo Isah Assault Rukayya becouse he is PPRO, and she is Journalist, why Security agency try to assault Journalist? Just becouse these journalist knew what are these Security does, like assault Civillians when they re Duty or Not’ take Crupption etc’