A reporter with The Guardian Newspaper, Eniola Daniel, was allegedly brutalised by policemen at the scene of the demolition of the shanties on the right of way of the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway on Sunday, while covering the exercise.

Police personnel in plainclothes slapped him before other security men dragged him into a Black Maria for capturing the burning of the shanties on the highway.

This was despite identifying himself with his press card.

“You are a bastard, we will move you to Badagry and no one will get you out,” a policeman yelled at him, with more beatings and smashing of his phone.

Narrating his ordeal in the hands of the police led by Commander Shola Jejeloye, Daniel said, “I got a call from the company’s security supervisor Bello that the Lagos Taskforce were burning tyres and destroying shops along the road; I got to the scene past 10 am and started taking shots.

“But in less than three minutes, a man on plain uniform suddenly approached me and started slapping me from behind, other security men bearing arms ran to support him, punching me. They dragged me into a Black Maria stationed nearby.

“Before I was dragged, I had brought out his identity card and showed it to them, but that did not move the power-drunk policemen.

“About 10 minutes in the vehicle, Jejeloye sent one of the men to open the van and released me and my smashed phone returned to me, with the instruction that all the shots taken must be deleted.