Armed youths suspected to be political thugs on Friday night stormed a hotel in the Orazi area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State and disrupted a live television interview.
The assailants forced the live broadcast to end abruptly and made away with a camera and other equipment belonging to the television crew.
It was gathered that the crew were conducting a live interview with a former Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment, Dr Leloonu Nwibubasa, when the attackers invaded the hotel.
Reports indicated that Nwibubasa was speaking on the political situation in the state during the programme, News Night, and expressing views perceived as not aligning with the position of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, when someone at the hotel lounge allegedly contacted the assailants.
A source, who requested anonymity, said the armed youths invaded the hotel around 9:15pm.
The source added that both the former commissioner and the cameraman narrowly escaped, noting that the attackers, who claimed the interview was anti-Wike and conducted in their territory, broke into hotel rooms in search of them.
It was further stated: “They were chanting in their local language (Ikwerre) that they would not allow such interview on their land. They were forcing doors open searching for the former commissioner and the Arise TV guys.
“The workers in the hotel started running helter-skelter. They later got to the spot where the interview was holding and started threatening the former commissioner and the Arise crew to discontinue the interview and forced them to stop.”
A reporter, Mr Andy Omano, who also escaped, contacted the police for help.
He said: “At that point I called the police control room and also put a call across to some of my colleagues. The police responded and said they were on their way to the hotel.”
He added that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area arrived with officers and, alongside the hotel manager, ensured that the former commissioner and the journalist were safely taken to the Kala Police Station, where statements were recorded.
The cameraman, Promise, recounting his experience, said: “The men seized my tSonny Canada Zed 280, industrial tripod, wireless microphone and other accessories.”
He added: “I had just filed that report before starting with the former Commissioner in a programme called News Night when two men stormed the place and disrupted the live programme.”
Promise said the attackers fled immediately after sighting the police.
The former commissioner also confirmed that police intervention made it possible for them to leave the hotel safely.
Nwibubasa condemned the incident, describing it as unhealthy for democracy.
He said: “I was already rounding off the interview and speaking about the forth-coming 2027 general elections. They (assailants) have are already showing us signs of what will happen. See how they were breaking doors looking for me. Why? This is a free society.”
