An Imo State-based practicing journalist, Salvator Amadi has relived the ordeal he passed through at the hands of thugs allegedly working for a female politician in the state during the last council polls held in the state.
Speaking with our correspondent in Owerri on Saturday, October 5, Amadi said it was due to the mercy of God that he did not give up the ghost on the fateful day.
Amadi who spent about a week at the hospital disclosed that on Saturday, September 21, 2024, he was heading back to his residence at Orji, a suburb of Owerri, capital of Imo State when he saw a crowd at the residence of the Councillorship Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for Orji Ward, Eziada Edna Oriaku.
His news instinct aroused interest to enquire about what was amiss.
That enquiry, Amadi said, became his undoing as the candidate's supporters descended heavily on him, beating him to a pulp and hauling allegation of working for the riling All Progressives Congress APC at him.
Hear him, "It was some minutes after 6:00pm, I was heading home after monitoring polling booths in Ikenegbu area of the state capital Owerri when I noticed a noisy crowd at the gate of a house opposite a polling booth.
"I approached the crowd and asked what was amiss with my android phone in recording mode.
"A young lady in the crowd told me that the people were angry because they felt the election officers who arrived at the booth after 5:00pm must have rigged the election.
"I then approached the candidate at the gate and asked what happened. She asked to know me and I told her I am a journalist and she flared up, shouting"Did they send you to come and spy on us?".
Amadi further disclosed that before he could say Jack, stars-producing slaps from one of her aides landed across his face.
He said his attacker thereafter seized his identity card which he had brought out to convince the candidate of his true identity.
His attacker didn't stop at confiscating his identity card, he also impounded his android phone and swiftly deleted the recording he made and ordered him to leave the scene.
According to him, the candidate took the phone from her aide and refused to give it back to him.
Amadi said all entreaties to her to return the handset were rebuffed even as three young men at the scene pushed him violently and he landed with his back and head on the hard ground.
Besides the injury and pain the fall exacerbated, Amadi revealed that his prescription bifocal eyeglasses and Itel 30,000 milliamp power bank were shattered by the impact of his fall.
He also lost the key to his residence.
The journalist who is the Editor-in-chief of National Newsblast Newspaper said he reported the matter at the state police command headquarters and Orji Divisional Police Office.
He revealed that the police at Orji Station later instructed him on Sunday September 22 to come at about 4:00 pm and collect his phone and ID card.
"I am still taking pain killers to relieve me of the pain, I thank God my head was not broken", Amadi said
Amadi said he doesn't want to press charges against the APGA candidate in court but requested her to replace his damaged eyeglasses and handset.
Efforts to her to react failed to bear fruit as she didn't pick her call or return the call before press time.
