The Abia State Police Command stirred controversy as they reportedly stormed ABN TV in Umuahia, arresting guest Mr. Udensi Donald during the live program “Youth Rendezvous,” hosted by Grace Onyekachi.
Ifeanyi Okali, Director of ABN TV/Radio, condemned the invasion, citing it as a provocation against press freedom and human rights.
Okali detailed the incident in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday.
According to him, “At about 2:40 pm on Tuesday, January 16, 2023, the policemen invaded our station during a live program to arrest our guest, one Mr. Udensi Donald during a program, Youth Rendezvous.”
“The police claimed a senior brother of the guest, one Mr Uche Onwuka Udensi had written a petition against him over a family matter. Despite repeated pleas by our staff to the officers to allow the program to come to an end before the guest could be arrested, they insisted on whisking him away while the live program was on.”
Okali expressed concern over the invasion and called it an “act of overzealousness” by the officers, emphasizing that it violated the rules of engagement and undermined police-civil relations.
He also alleged that items belonging to the station were damaged during the invasion and demanded an apology from the state police command.
