The Enugu State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, on Tuesday October, 15, 2024, condemned the invasion and abduction of some staff of an Enugu based Radio station- Urban 94 .5 FM by suspected operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission EFCC.
A statement issued by the Management of the Broadcasting outfit said some Operatives of the anti-graft Agency invaded the Station at about 5.45 pm, halted ongoing programmes and subsequently abducted the presenters.
The armed men, the Management, also, stated, carted away many of the outfit’s equipment worth several millions of Naira.
“While we are following the matter, we will continue to inform our dear listeners accordingly through this medium.
“Once again, we apologize for the unethical break-in into our live studio and disruption of your favourite programmes and hope that the matter will be resolved as soon as possible and for whatever reasons.”
Reacting to the incident, the Enugu NUJ Council, in a statement issued by its Secretary, Dame Ifeoma Amuta, described the invasion of the Radio Station as condemnable.
The NUJ insisted that the behaviour of the EFCC operatives was unprofessional, no matter the weight of the reasons behind the action.
” It is only in times of military seizure of power that we experience such act of forceful disruption of broadcast transmission of this kind.
“No matter what offence, it is the individual that may have committed it as alleged and should be gone after in a due process manner and not extending it to public facilities like Radio on air.
The NUJ, therefore, called for a comprehensive probe into the circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident.
According to the union, the inquest will establish the true identities of the those that carried out the raid, whether or not they were on unlawful duties, as well as the real motives.
The body also urged the EFCC to urgently tender its unreserved apologies to the Radio Station and the general public for the show of shame.
The NUJ lamented that it has become the norm for security agencies in recent times to resort to such uncivilized conducts, not minding that the country has since grown above the oppressive and anti-democratic tendencies of the military dictatorship.
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