ABN, an online Radio/TV station based in Umuahia, plunged into darkness on Tuesday when Mr. Udensi Donald, a guest participating in the live program “Youth Rendezvous,” was apprehended by the police. The arrest took place within the station’s studio, situated in front of Matter Dei Cathedral, the headquarters of the Catholic Diocese of Umuahia, the capital of Abia State.
During the live broadcast, policemen, displaying their identity cards, forcibly entered the studio and seized Mr. Udensi Donald. Initially reluctant to disclose the reason for the arrest, the officers eventually mentioned that he was wanted based on a petition filed by someone.
A circulating video on social media captured the plea of ABN staff and other guests, urging the police to either allow the program to conclude or clarify the alleged offense before taking Mr. Donald into custody. Despite the pleas, the officers disregarded the requests and arrested the man, abruptly concluding the program.
The following morning, Mr. Ifeanyi Okali, the Director of ABN Radio/TV, expressed dissatisfaction with the police’s actions. He reported that the microphone, laptop, and camera suffered damage during the struggle to apprehend the guest. According to Okali, the invasion occurred around 2:40 pm on Tuesday, and the police claimed that Mr. Donald’s elder brother to his guest wrote a petition against him over a family matter.
“We find this very provocative and indeed an act of overzealousness by the officers who obviously acted in clear contravention of rule of engagement.
“It clearly also negates the enhanced police-civil relations which the Commissioner of Police, CP Kene Onwuemelie, has consistently campaigned for,” he said.
Okali lamented that staff of ABN who were invited by the Abia State Police Commissioner to explain what happened, were allegedly harassed by police officers at the CP’s office who again threatened to arrest them.
He described the invasion as unprovoked, demanding the replacement of destroyed equipment and an apology from the Abia State Police Command.
The Command was yet to react to ABN management’s statement as the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Maureen Chinaka, did not pick her phone call and did not respond to messages sent to her at the time of writing this report.
