The Ondo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists has raised the alarm over the alleged harassment of journalists by hoodlums during the flag-off ceremony of the second Akure flyover, describing the incident as a threat to press freedom and the safety of media practitioners.
The union made its position known in a communiqué issued at the end of its monthly congress held on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at the NUJ Press Centre, Pen Crescent, Alagbaka, Akure. The congress, which was attended by members from various chapels across the state, was chaired by the council’s chairman, Prince Leke Adegbite.
The journalists were allegedly subjected to unprovoked harassment by a group of hoodlums said to have been led by one Temitope Romeo during the event marking the commencement of work on the flyover. According to the union, the group reportedly presented themselves as workers of the construction company handling the project.
The NUJ condemned the alleged conduct and urged Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Bulletine Construction Company, the contractor handling the project, to take appropriate steps to rein in Romeo and the other members of the group. The union warned that it would not accept any action aimed at intimidating journalists or restricting their constitutional responsibility to cover public events.
The congress also commended Governor Aiyedatiwa and the people of Akure for the commencement of the second flyover project along the Oyemekun-Oba Adesida-St Mathias Road. While welcoming the development, the union appealed to the contractor to intensify work on the project to ensure its completion within the stipulated timeframe.
In another resolution, the journalists urged the Ondo State Ministries of Infrastructure and Transport to address the presence of what they described as unnecessary tricycle and motorcycle parks along Arakale Road. The union noted that the road had become an important alternative route for motorists following the commencement of construction work on the flyover.
The congress also expressed concern over the persistent strange odour experienced in Akure and surrounding communities, particularly during the night. It called on the state government to urgently investigate the source of the odour and deploy effective measures to tackle the problem permanently. The union equally appealed to the Federal Road Safety Corps and other relevant security agencies to exercise restraint in sanctioning motorists over the absence of number plates, noting the reported non-availability of the plates in the state, and called on the government to intervene.
Meanwhile, the NUJ congress passed a vote of confidence in the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, citing his contributions to the journalism profession and efforts to promote a conducive working environment for journalists in various media organisations across Ondo State.
The congress also approved the establishment of a seven-member committee to organise activities marking 50 years of journalism in Ondo State, to be celebrated as the “Ondo NUJ Golden Jubilee.”
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