The Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, yesterday, pledged to investigate the alleged assault on The Guardian reporter, Eniola Daniel.

The reporter, on Saturday, January 4, 2025, detailed what transpired in the office of the Commissioner for Physical Planning, Abiodun Olumide, when he honoured his invitation.

In a letter to the editor titled ‘Journalists get beaten everywhere, just accept it, Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning, Abiodun Olumide tells me’ Daniel expressed disappointment that the commissioner reportedly treated his case with levity, and failed to sanction the affected officials as promised.

He wrote: “On May 30, 2024, Head of Enforcement, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Olusoji Olaopa, led attacks on me. I became the third journalist he assaulted in seven months.

The reporter said Olaopa ordered that he should be beaten, and dragged from the scene of a four-storey building collapse at 15 Iga Idunganran, Lagos Island in the line of duty.

Daniel added that the LASBCA official boasted that he would beat him up, and nothing would happen amid bruises.

He recalled that in June, the commissioner invited and promised to get back, a pledge that was yet to be fulfilled.

Before his exit, the reporter quoted the commissioner to have said: “Journalists get beaten everywhere, just accept it. Sorry for your experience. Journalists get killed, but when they need them, the same person looks for them. I will meet with the governor and call you later.”

Reacting through the Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mukaila Sanusi, the agency said its attention was drawn to the petition.

It said: “In the letter, published in The Guardian of Saturday, 4th January 2025, the journalist claimed that his report of the highhandedness of LASBCA officials on him was treated with flippancy by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Abiodun Olumide.

“It is essential to clarify that the quote attributed to the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, may have been taken out of context or misrepresented.

“As the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide has been working hard to promote transparency and accountability in the state’s physical planning sector, he has developed a good working relationship with media professionals, allowing them unfettered access to information and engaging with stakeholders to address their concerns.”

His open-door policy and consistent stakeholder engagements demonstrate his commitment to creating a sustainable, livable, and orderly Lagos inclusively.”

The spokesman went on: “Regarding the specific incident mentioned by Eniola, the commissioner has initiated steps to promptly verify the facts and context surrounding the quote. The matter will be investigated fairly by the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on e-GIS and Urban Development, which has oversight of LASBCA.

“The Lagos State government is committed to upholding transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights, and I am confident that the state would not condone any form of violence or intimidation against journalists or any other group.

“It is crucial to work together and focus on promoting constructive dialogue and finding solutions to the challenges facing Lagos State so that we can create a more inclusive and sustainable Lagos for all.”