…Threaten Boycott Of Police Activities If ….
As Veteran journalists, publishers threaten sanctions, warn of plot to muzzle press ahead of elections
A coalition of veteran journalists, publishers and media managers under the banner of Port Harcourt Press has raised the alarm over what it described as a dangerous assault on press freedom and democracy following the violent attack on an ARISE Television crew in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
At an international press conference held on Thursday, January 8, 2026, the group strongly condemned the unprovoked attack on the ARISE TV team by armed men on Friday, January 2, 2026, while they were conducting an interview with Dr. Leloonu Nwibubasa, former Rivers State Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment, at a hotel in the state capital.
The journalists described the incident—which involved physical intimidation and the forceful seizure of broadcast equipment—as a direct assault on the Nigerian media, human lives, and the public’s right to know.
“This incident is a litmus test of what desperate politicians intend to unleash on Rivers State,” the group declared, warning that society collapses when evil thrives and good people remain silent.
According to the body, Dr. Nwibubasa alleged that the attackers openly boasted that any statement against former Rivers State Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, would be resisted and punished.
The journalists described such claims as chilling and reflective of “ancient, barbaric and brigand-style politics.”
The press body expressed deep concern over the conduct of the Nigeria Police, noting that although the stolen equipment was reportedly recovered, no concrete arrests have been made, despite the alleged identification of one of the perpetrators by name.
“The continued silence of the Police since January 2 raises serious questions,” the group said, adding that it is “constrained to believe that the Police may be compromised and, by implication, complicit.”
The journalists demanded a thorough investigation and prosecution of all those involved within two weeks, warning that failure to act would result in media sanctions, including the withdrawal of coverage of police activities in Rivers State, in solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
They directly called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju Adewole, to clear the air by ensuring swift arrests and prosecution of both the attackers and their sponsors.
Beyond the immediate incident, the body warned that the attack appeared to be a test-run aimed at intimidating journalists and shrinking civic space ahead of the 2027 elections.
In unusually strong language, the journalists called out Chief Nyesom Wike, urging him to “tread with caution” and desist from actions capable of overheating the polity.
“He has served Rivers State for eight years as governor. Power is transient.
He should move on and become a statesman,” the statement said, stressing that no individual is more Rivers than another.
The body further criticized the FCT Minister’s rhetoric during visits to Rivers State, describing his statements as inciting, divisive and unbecoming of a national leader, especially at a time when electioneering campaigns have not been declared by INEC.
“As a Minister of the Federal Republic under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he should be preaching peace, tolerance and democratic values,” the journalists said, warning that reckless utterances could lead followers “to a calamitous end.”
Invoking former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, the group cautioned: “Dictators get started by suppressing free press.” They vowed to resist any attempt to enthrone fear, dictatorship or media suppression in Rivers State.
The statement was jointly signed by Rt. Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke, Sir Ngo Martyns Yellowe, and Rev’d Canon Jerry Needam, JP. “We collectively and resolutely say NO to the birth of dictatorship in our dear State, regardless of who is involved,” the journalists declared.
