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Suspected political thugs on Friday night invaded a popular hotel (name withheld) in the Orazi area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, disrupting a live interview being aired on Arise Television.
The incident occurred while an Arise TV crew was conducting a live interview with a former Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment, Dr Leloonu Nwibubasa, who was speaking on the political situation in the state.
Armed Assailants Storm Hotel
Eyewitnesses said the assailants, who were reportedly armed, stormed the hotel around 9:15 p.m., breaking into rooms and allegedly searching for the former commissioner and the Arise TV cameraman.
According to one witness, the attackers chanted in their local language, forced doors open, seized phones from guests, and caused panic among hotel workers and guests.
“Workers in the hotel started running helter-skelter as the men moved from room to room,” the eyewitness said.
Interview Forcefully Halted
The attackers later located the spot where the interview was ongoing and issued threats to Dr Nwibubasa and the Arise TV crew, forcing them to abruptly discontinue the live broadcast.
A member of the Arise TV team told our correspondent that he received a distress call from his colleague and immediately rushed to the hotel.
“I contacted the police control room and also alerted some colleagues. When I arrived, the Divisional Police Officer for the area was already on ground with his men,” he said.
He added that, with the assistance of the hotel manager, the police escorted the former commissioner and the journalists out of the premises and took them to the Kala Police Station, where their statements were recorded.
Equipment Seized
An Arise TV cameraman, identified as Promise, said the attackers carted away several pieces of equipment, including a Sony Z280 camera, an industrial tripod, wireless microphones, and other accessories.
“I had just finished filing a report from an earlier assignment and started a live programme, News Night, when two men stormed the place and disrupted the interview,” he said.
Promise added that the assailants made threatening remarks but fled when police officers arrived in response to distress calls.
Nwibubasa Condemns Attack
Confirming the incident, Dr Nwibubasa said he was safe and praised the police for their timely intervention. He, however, strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a threat to democracy.
“I was rounding off the interview and discussing the 2027 general elections when this happened. This shows the direction some people are heading.
They were breaking down doors looking for me in a free society. This is unhealthy for democracy,” he said.
Police Yet to Respond
Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, were unsuccessful, as she did not respond to multiple phone calls or a text message as of the time of filing this report on Saturday morning.
