The late-night presence of heavily armed police officers at the studios of JKD Radio/Television in Millennium City, Kaduna, has sparked concern over the safety of journalists at the station, following an alleged police search for one of its reporters.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, to immediately stop what it described as the harassment and intimidation of the journalist, Zainab Salihu Yabagi, over a video explainer concerning Ibrahim Masari, a Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to reports available to HURIWA, the police stormed the JKD Radio/Television studios on September 11, 2026, initially claiming that they were searching for Yabagi in connection with a “stolen phone.”

The operation, however, reportedly took a different turn, with the station’s General Manager, Charles Abah, and a security personnel arrested and detained for more than seven hours.

HURIWA said it was later informed that Yabagi was being sought in connection with allegations of criminal conspiracy, defamation, cyberstalking and bullying linked to Masari.

The development, the rights group said, raised serious concerns about the use of police powers in disputes arising from journalistic reports and commentary.

HURIWA urged Disu to direct the Kaduna State Police Command to immediately halt any further harassment, intimidation or arbitrary pursuit of Yabagi and other employees of JKD Radio/Television over the disputed broadcast.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the organisation argued that if Masari believed he had been defamed by the broadcast, he should seek redress through the courts rather than deploy the coercive machinery of the state.

HURIWA also cautioned against what it described as the abuse of the Cybercrime Prohibition Act to criminalise disputes that may essentially concern alleged defamation.

The organisation stressed that journalists were not above the law, noting that where credible evidence of a criminal offence existed, the appropriate legal process should be followed.

However, it questioned the use of armed police personnel to raid a media organisation, arrest its workers and declare a journalist wanted over a matter that could be subjected to judicial scrutiny.

HURIWA further invoked Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution, which places a responsibility on the press, radio, television and other mass media to hold government accountable and ensure that government remains responsible to the people.

It said journalists could not effectively perform that constitutional role if they operated under the constant threat of arrest whenever a public official was displeased with a report, commentary or video explainer.

The group was also concerned about the reported involvement of a presidential aide, stressing that holding a political appointment should not confer immunity from criticism or provide access to state machinery for settling personal grievances.

HURIWA urged the IGP to review the circumstances surrounding the Kaduna police operation and ensure that the police did not become an instrument of self-help in what could be a dispute over alleged defamation.

It also called on the Federal Government to protect journalists, broadcasters and media organisations from arbitrary arrest, intimidation and reprisals, warning that the growing use of criminal complaints, police invitations, arrests and searches over professional activities could undermine Nigeria’s civic space and democratic accountability.

HURIWA demanded an end to the alleged harassment of Yabagi and JKD Radio/Television, insisting that anyone who believes they have been defamed should pursue the remedies provided by law.