‘Armed Policemen Invade Former Senate President’s Radio Station In Benue, Halt Transmission’

A team of armed Policemen on Thursday, reportedly stormed Joy FM, a radio station in Otukpo, Benue State, which belongs to former Senate President David Mark.

The armed security operatives, upon arrival at about 1 pm, allegedly forced one Oloche Adeyi, who was in the studio casting the 1 pm news, to abruptly stop the broadcast at gunpoint.

They also manhandled some staff of the station, according to the Managing Director of Joy FM, Christabel Iyanya, before sealing off the outfit.

The team, which was reportedly led by the chairman of the Benue Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), Sunday Odagba, and Ikwue Ikwue of the State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said the station was owing for business premises.

In the words of Iyanya, “They came and laid siege on the station, causing pandemonium, as nobody was aware of their coming or the reason they had to invade a running station with two trucks of armed policemen.

“They roughly handled my staff on duty, right from the receptionist, Juliana Ameh, to one of our old staff, Mallam Jibrin, to my head of news, Cletus Ogbaje, and even went to the studio with heavily armed policemen and forced Oloche Adeyi, who was reading the 1 pm news, to stop the bulletin at gunpoint.

“They entered all the offices and drove everybody out at gunpoint. Unfortunately, I was away in Igumale, Ado Local Government Headquarters, to attend business. All our entrance doors were destroyed.”

We Are Not Owing

However, Iyanya, who is also the National Vice-Chairman of the Broadcasters Organisation of Nigeria, BON, said the station is not owing any tax and if they had been properly informed, payment would have been made immediately.

“This is the height of it. I only watch this in movies. I have never heard nor seen a media house being invaded with such a number of armed men, over what they call business premises. They said the station was owing N150,000 for business premises. This, we were not aware of.

“The people who led this operation, especially Ikwue Ikwue, are from the same locality as me.

“He sees me all the time. If my station was owing any bill, he should have told me, and I would have paid immediately. We have been operating for almost two decades and have never defaulted in payment of any bills or taxes whatsoever.

“This is beyond tax. This is something they will have to explain to us. This stands condemned. We are definitely going to test this,” the manager said.