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By Amos Odhe
IPC’s Centre for Safety and Protection of Journalists (I-CSPJ) has said that it is “extremely dismayed and frowns at the reported police invasion of ABN TV and forced arrest of a guest during a live programme in Umuahia on Tuesday, 16th January, 2024.”
In a release made available to our correspondent, I-CSPJ said that its field monitor reveals that, “At about 2.40pm on Tuesday, January 16, 2023, the policemen invaded the station during a live programme, Youth Rendezvous, to arrest a guest, Mr. Udensi Donald during a programme.
“The police claimed a senior brother of the guest had written a petition against him over a family matter. Despite repeated plea by the staff for the officers to allow the programme come to an end before the guest could be arrested, they insisted on whisking him away while the live programme was on,” the station’s director, Ifeanyi Okali stated.
The executive director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade said, “this provocative action by the police is simply an act of overzealousness which was unnecessary. The officers could easily have waited for the live programme to end before swinging into action.”
I-CSPJ is therefore calling on the Commissioner of Police, CP Kene Onwuemeile to call his officers to order and also ensure that the items belonging to the station which were damaged in the course of the invasion be replaced.
I-CSPJ is also demanding an apology on behalf of the affected station.
