Condemns attack on Bayalsa journalist
Elizabeth Vincent, Yenagoa
The International Press Centre (IPC) in Lagos, Nigeria, through its Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) hub, has demanded an immediate investigation and prosecution of officials from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following their invasion of Urban Radio Station (94.5FM) in Enugu on the evening of October 14, 2024.
According to information gathered by the SPJ hub, the EFCC officials overpowered the station’s staff, allegedly intimidating them with firearms.
They forced the employees to sit on the bare floor, confiscated their phones, and proceeded directly to the live studio. There, they forcibly removed the host of the interactive program “PRIME TIME,” which was being broadcast at the time of the invasion.
In a statement issue by, IPC Executive Director Mr. Lanre Arogundade condemned the invasion, describing it as “a despicable assault on the media and a blatant abuse of power.”
He noted that the recent trend of attacks on journalists indicates that the EFCC and other security agencies have resorted to extrajudicial tactics to address their grievances.
The SPJ hub is urging EFCC Chairman Mr. Olanipekun Olukoye to thoroughly investigate the incident and ensure that the involved officers are held accountable for their unprofessional conduct.
Further stress that this action is vital to deter similar behavior in the future and call for training for EFCC personnel on the constitutional limits of their authority.
Additionally, SPJ-Hub condemned a recent attack on journalists in Bayelsa State, where several reporters sustained injuries when hired thugs disrupted a press briefing organized by the Sagbama Local Government Chapter of the All Progressives Congress in Yenagoa, the state capital.