GOLDEN 97.5 FM CONDEMNS ASSAULT, DETENTION OF HER REPORTER AT BAYELSA GOVERNMENT HOUSE

The management of Golden 97.5 FM, Yenagoa, has condemned the assault and detention of Mr. Bright Okpo, its reporter by security personnel on mufti at the Bayelsa State Government House while he was covering a protest by Miss Albert Enibo on Wednesday morning.

According to the station, Mr. Bright was taking photographs and videos of the protester when a security operative suddenly accosted him and seized his phone.

Despite identifying himself as a journalist with Golden 97.5 FM and presenting his office identity card, another security operative arrived at the scene, slapped him and took the phone from the first officer before deleting the pictures and videos.

The reporter was subsequently taken to a security post in front of the Government House alongside Miss Enibo the protester, where both of them were allegedly forced to sit on the floor.

The station said the intervention of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, who came to address the protester, led to Mr. Bright first release at Government House after Miss Enibo insisted she would not follow the Permanent Secretary to his office unless the journalist was freed.

However, He was later taken to the A Division Police Station along Hospital Road, where he was compelled to write a statement under duress. In the statement, he was reportedly directed to state that he would not publish the pictures or videos taken at the protest scene on social media or any internet platform.

The station further stated that it was only after writing the statement that the reporter was allowed to use his phone to call his office and family to inform them of his whereabouts.

The station said that the Divisional Police Officer, who conveyed him from the Government House to the station, became angry on noticing the call and instructed an officer who had earlier handed him the phone to retrieve it, insisting that he should not be allowed to contact anyone.

According to the management, the situation changed after the reporter successfully alerted his office. The station subsequently contacted Mr. Musa Mohammed, the state Police Public Relations Officer, to report the incident. The reporter was eventually released at about 11:42 a.m.

The management of Golden 97.5 FM has called on the Bayelsa State Police Command and the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Bayelsa State Council, to investigate the incident in order to prevent further harassment of the journalist and other media practitioners in the state, especially as he was made to write a statement under duress.