Edith CHUKU
A former Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment, Dr Leloonu Nwibubasa, has described armed gunmen invasion of a hotel in Rivers State during Live Arise TV Broadcast, as a disturbing signal for democratic practice in the state.
Nwibubasa gave this description while condemning the attack and affirming his safety.
He revealed that he was already rounding off the interview which held at a hotel in the Oroazi axis of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state, on Friday night, when the suspected political thugs interrupted the live television interview, aired by Arise TV.
His words, “I was already rounding off the interview and speaking about the forthcoming 2027 general elections. They are already showing signs of what will happen.”
The armed men reportedly stormed the premises at about 9:15 pm, causing panic among guests and staff.
The assailants were said to have forced their way into several rooms while chanting in a local dialect, allegedly in search of Nwibubasa and members of the Arise TV crew.
Eyewitnesses said doors were broken open, mobile phones seized and occupants compelled to flee for safety as confusion spread through the hotel.
According to accounts from the scene, the gunmen eventually traced the location of the interview and issued threats that compelled the former commissioner and the television crew to abandon the live programme mid-stream.
A member of the Arise TV team disclosed that a distress call from a colleague prompted him to alert the police and rush to the hotel. By the time he arrived, the Divisional Police Officer overseeing the area had deployed officers to the scene.
Though the State Police command was yet to issue an official statement, but it was gathered that the police, working alongside hotel management, evacuated Nwibubasa and the journalists to the Kala Police Station, where statements were later taken.
One of the crew member revealed that several pieces of broadcast equipment were taken during the invasion, including a Sony Z280 camera, an industrial tripod and wireless microphones.
He said the attack came as a shock, noting that the interview followed immediately after he had concluded coverage of another event for the station.
“I had just filed that report before starting with the former commissioner on a programme called News Night when two men stormed the place and disrupted the live interview,” he recounted, adding that the assailants fled upon noticing the arrival of security operatives.
