Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in a letter to Muhammadu Buhari, President of Nigeria has expressed concern over the attack on three journalists during a political party rally in Lagos, Nigeria.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in his letter, has called on the Nigerian government and law enforcement agencies to thoroughly and independently investigate the attack on journalists and ensure the perpetrators are punished. PPF also urged all political parties to ensure safety of journalists working in the line of duty and covering their protests.

According to Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), the three journalists including Emmanuel Oladesu, political editor of The Nation newspaper, Temitope Ogunbanke, a correspondent of News Telegraph and Abiodun Yusuf, a cameraman of Ibile Television were shot while covering a political rally organized to support Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a candidate contesting for the governorship of Lagos State.

The journalists were caught in a conflict after a shoot-out happened between the suspected rival groups of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). The Nation, editor Oladesu got seriously injured and was taken to hospital for treatment.

This is not the first incident of attack on journalists while covering political rallies. On February 16, 2015, Charles Erukaa, a journalist with Channels Television was stabbed in the neck by unidentified persons while covering a rally organized by same APC party at Okrika, Rivers State.