ON JANUARY 31, 2025, heavily armed policemen stormed the premises of Joy FM 96.5 Otukpo, Benue State, halting live broadcast and forcibly shutting down the station. What is the government’s justification for this brazen infraction? Alleged non-compliance with tax payments and business premises’ registration infringements.
This incident is more than just a regulatory action of a government functionary – it is a dangerous attack on Press Freedom. Indeed, the manner in which the radio station was reportedly shutdown raises serious concerns about the misuse of State power, often by government officials, especially security personnel, to intimidate, harass, undermine and suppress Independent Journalism.
It is an established fact, in fact a constitutional obligation, that media organisations are empowered to play crucial roles in not only informing the public or upholding and promoting the ethos of democracy, but even more so, holding the government as well as public officials accountable.
It is expected that in a free, democratic society, disputes over tax collection/payment or obtaining of business licenses ought to be handled in a civilised, legally-guided process and not through violence – armed invasion, harassment and intimidation.
The fact that Joy FM was forced off the air at gunpoint, with physical assault on journalists, is not only excessive but totally abhorrent to the very essence and philosophy of democracy. It is absolutely a premeditated act calculated to bully and instil fear in media practitioners.
A profound symbolism of the invasion of Joy FM is the clear signal of the fragility of Press Freedom under our democracy, a symptom battled and won even under military dictatorship and thought to have been eliminated over two decades ago with the exit of military from political governance. The symbolism of this invasion therefore is likely to linger, especially in the face of the creeping resurgence of attacks on journalists and other dissenting voices, under the APC government. These are all but strong indicators that free expression, and of course, our democracy, are at serious risk.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) and the International Press Centre (IPC) have, rightly so, condemned the invasion, calling it an abuse of power and a direct attack on Free Speech. These concerns are valid! Any time, and anywhere, a government or its agencies resort to unjustified use of force against the press, it signals a broader attempt to silence dissenting voices.
The Benue State Government’s use of armed security personnel in what ordinarily ought to have been a civil matter is therefore deeply troubling. If a media house fails to comply with tax regulations, the appropriate response is legal recourse when the requisite bureaucratic steps must have been exhausted – definitely not in the gung-ho, mafia-like aggression that was reported.
For National Record, this is a worrying precedent for tactless government officials with any grievances against a media house will simply think it is a right to deploy armed security personnel to shut it down.
We are more concerned in the face of prevailing silence from Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration on this matter, most pertinently in the context of reports of other business premises in Makurdi, the state capital, and other major towns in the state that had of recent been harassed.
The Alia government’s silence on these reported invasions by armed men only help to fuel the perception and growing speculation that armed invasion of business premises are more than just tax drive operation but more a clamp down on businesses owned by dissenting persons. Was Joy FM targeted for its editorial stance? Was the station airing content that displeased the government?
The above questions demand answers from either the government or Joy FM or both. But even if the answers are in the affirmative, there are procedural paths to follow in redressing any grievances, if in practicing its journalism, the station incurs any infractions on the basic broadcasting codes or ethics of journalism.
While Joy FM has since resumed operations, following public outcry; however, reopening the station does not erase the grave implications of its forcible closure. His Excellency, Reverend Father (Dr) Hyacinth Alia, Governor of Benue State, must take full responsibility for this misstep and ensure that those involved are held accountable. While doing this, a public apology and a firm commitment to Press Freedom are necessary to rebuild trust.
The Benue State Government must understand that a Free Press is not a privilege granted by the government – it is a Fundamental Right enshrined in not only the Nigerian Constitution but in various international Freedom Charters. Any government – federal, state and local – that seeks to undermine this right must be held accountable!
The Nigerian Press, and indeed all media personnel in Benue State, cannot afford to, and should not, accept these violations as normal or ‘just politics.’ When, and if, such invasions go unchallenged, other independent media houses and their staff will become vulnerable to similar state-sanctioned oppression.
This incident should serve as a wake-up call for journalists, media owners, civil society groups, and the general public. If a government can invade a legally-established Media House today without any consequence, what stops that government, and its peers, from silencing individuals who dare to speak truth to power tomorrow?
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), and other media regulatory bodies, must use this recent unfortunate incident to commence enlightenment on the clear guidelines on how disputes between media organisations and the government should be resolved without violating Press Freedom. More importantly, journalists in Nigeria must stand united against any form of intimidation.
A profound symbolism of the invasion of Joy FM is the clear signal of the fragility of Press Freedom under our democracy, a symptom battled and won even under military dictatorship and thought to have been eliminated over two decades ago with the exit of military from political governance. The symbolism of this invasion therefore is likely to linger, especially in the face of the creeping resurgence of attacks on journalists and other dissenting voices, under the APC government. These are all but strong indicators that free expression, and of course, our democracy, are at serious risk.
Nigerians must resist this creeping generalised authoritarianism and defend the media and people’s right to operate and speak without fear!
Today, it is Joy FM. Tomorrow, it could be any other media house. The time to speak up is now!
