The Nigeria Union of Journalists has demanded the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the violent disruption of a live ARISE NEWS broadcast in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The union said the attack took place on January 2, 2026, when suspected political thugs assaulted an ARISE NEWS crew and seized their broadcast equipment during an interview at a hotel in the state capital.
Addressing journalists at a press conference on Friday evening at the NUJ State Council Secretariat, the National Vice President for Zone F, Mr Opaka Dokubo, who spoke on behalf of the NUJ National President, said the incident underscored growing threats to journalists’ safety.
“Journalists are apolitical professionals who must be allowed to carry out their duties without intimidation or harassment,” Dokubo said.
He explained that the media serves as a neutral platform for public engagement and should not be treated as a participant in political conflicts.
“The media exists to promote peace, accountability and national development and does not operate as an enemy of any political group,” he added.
Dokubo acknowledged the prompt response of the police following the distress call raised after the incident but maintained that retrieving stolen equipment alone did not amount to justice.
He said, “The union demands the immediate arrest and prosecution of all those involved in the attack to serve as a deterrent and prevent a recurrence of such violence against journalists in the state.”
He warned that the assault posed serious implications for press safety ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“As we approach the 2027 election cycle, this incident raises serious concerns for the safety of journalists,” he said, urging media practitioners to remain “extremely security-conscious” while carrying out their professional duties.
Dokubo further stressed that accountability in the ARISE TV case was necessary to reassure journalists operating in an increasingly tense political environment.
“Only those who remain alive can continue to tell stories that shape public discourse,” he said.
The NUJ described the incident as a “heinous act” and insisted that all those involved must be brought to justice.
PUNCH Online had earlier reported on January 2 that suspected political thugs invaded a popular hotel in the Orazi axis of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, disrupting a live ARISE TV interview.
It was gathered that the ARISE TV crew was interviewing a former Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment, Dr Leloonu Nwibubasa, when the assailants stormed the hotel at about 9:15 pm.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers, who were reportedly armed, forced open hotel rooms, seized phones, and searched for the former commissioner and the ARISE TV cameraman.
“They were chanting in their local language, forcing doors open and seizing people’s phones. Workers in the hotel started running helter-skelter,” an eyewitness said.
The attackers were said to have later reached the interview location, threatened the former commissioner and the ARISE TV crew, and forced the live interview to be discontinued.
Following the incident, newspaper publishers, media managers and journalists in Rivers State issued a two-week ultimatum to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, to investigate the attack.
