Three policemen on Sunday night assaulted a PUNCH photojournalist, Sam Adeko, in Abuja for obeying a traffic light.

Adeko, who was driving a Honda Accord car, had stopped for the red light opposite Unity Bank headquartres along Herbert Macaulay Way, Central Business District, Abuja, when the three policemen in a pick-up van marked E-5 assaulted him for observing the traffic rule.

The policemen, who were attached to Total Nigeria Plc headquarters, stopped beside him and one of them came down and hit him with his rifle and threatened to shoot him for not disregarding traffic light because the road was free.

Adeko said, “The red light countdown was on 11 seconds when the police van stopped beside me and three armed policemen jumped down. One of them slapped me and shoved his rifle to my neck, asking why I stopped for the red light when the road was free.

“I tried to explain that the traffic light stopped me, but he slapped me again and threatened to shoot me. The driver of the police vehicle, however, prevailed on him not to shoot. The three policemen abused and said nasty things to me before they drove off. I didn’t know it is now a crime to obey traffic light in Abuja.”

Adeko explained that he had reported the incident to the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, who promised to identify the errant policemen and take disciplinary action against them.

Our correspondent visited Total Nigeria Plc headquartres on Monday to identify the policemen, but it was another set of officers that were on duty.

A policeman at the company’s gate pleaded with our correspondent “to leave the matter to God”, noting that the abusive policemen would meet their waterloo soon.

When contacted, Mba promised to investigate the incident