Veteran journalists, publishers, and media managers in Rivers State held an international press conference today to vehemently condemn the brutal attack on an Arise TV crew on January 2, 2026, while they interviewed Dr. Leloonu Nwibubasa, former Honourable Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment, in a Port Harcourt hotel.
The media leaders which include, Rt. Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke, Sir Ngo Martyns Yellowe, Rev’d Canon Jerry Needam, JP described the assault by armed thugs—who seized broadcast equipment and boasted of defending Chief Nyesom Wike against criticism—as a grave threat to journalism and democracy.
“This barbaric act of intimidation signals desperate politicians’ plan to instill fear ahead of elections and stifle the press,” they stated, quoting Christopher Dodd: “When the public’s right to know is threatened, all other liberties are endangered.”
Organizers expressed dismay at the police response, noting that while equipment was recovered, no arrests followed despite Dr. Nwibubasa naming a suspect.
They accused authorities of possible complicity and demanded a thorough investigation, arrests, and prosecutions within two weeks by Inspector General Kayode Egbetokun and Rivers State Commissioner Olugbenga Adepoju Adewole. Failure to act, they warned, would prompt media blackout of police activities in solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
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The group directly addressed Wike, now FCT Minister, urging him to embrace statesmanship after his eight-year governorship and cease inciting supporters during visits to local government areas.
“Power is transient—no one is more Rivers than others,” they said, criticizing his rhetoric amid his PDP expulsion and calls for peace under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of 2027 elections. Echoing John F. Kennedy, they rejected any suppression of the free press as a path to dictatorship.
“This test-run of thuggery must end; politicians unable to play by rules should quit,” the veterans declared, vowing to protect media freedom as society’s guardian against evil.
