Rivers: Season of attacks as explosion rocks Radio/TV stations
Debris of the explosion in Port Harcourt…yesterday PHOTO: ANN GODWIN
• Police commence probe, as NUJ condemns attack
• APC, SDP lament attacks on candidates
There were attacks, yesterday, in Rivers State, as an explosion rocked a broadcasting station, the Atlantic Television Network and Wish 99.5 Fm, in the Ozuoba area of Port Harcourt.
The stations housed in a storey building and owned by a member of House of Representatives, Chinyere Igwe, a keen supporter of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, was attacked by assailants at about 9:00p.m. on Tuesday, destroying parts of its power supply connections and transmission devices.
The Guardian gathered that no life was lost in the incident.
Confirming the incident, Rivers State Police Command assured that its operatives of the Explosive Ordnance Department (EOD) have been deployed to the scene for swift and detailed investigation with a view to ascertaining the veracity of the information and to unravel the exact cause of the explosion.
Spokesperson for the Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, in a statement, yesterday,
explained that it received a distress call from a supposed staff of the station around 8:45p.m., that suspected hoodlums threw an explosive device into the generator house and transformer area that caused a huge damage.
She said: “On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at about 8:45p.m., information received from one Peter Anietie of 99.5 Wish FM/Atlantic Television Network, has it that some hoodlums threw an explosive device into the generator house and transformer area, which caused damage to generators and a 500kva transformer as well as a transformer feeder panel and electronic appliances in both the radio and television stations. Fortunately, no life was lost.
“Operatives of the Explosive Ordnance Department (EOD) have been deployed to the scene for swift and detailed investigation with a view to ascertaining the veracity of the information and to unravel what exactly caused the explosion.
“The Command assures that if the incident was indeed orchestrated by anyone or group, the culprits will be hunted down and made to face the full wrath of the law.”
She also advised residents of the state to report any observation that may be suspicious to the police swiftly.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Branch of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJI) have condemned the attack after their visit to the scene.
The state’s chairman of the union, Stanley Job, said its members are not politicians and should be allowed to do their jobs without interference and intimidation.
When contacted, chairman of the media outfit, Igwe said his workers notified the state’s police headquarters and that he has also made a formal entry at the Ozuoba Police division.
Igwe, who recalled that his filling station in Rivers State has been under seal by the state government in the past six months, urged the youths to resist being used at this period by politicians to destroy individuals’ hard earned properties and valuables.
Similarly, the state’s All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, raised alarm over an attack on its House of Representatives candidate in Etche/Omuma
Constituency, Mr. Empraim Nwuzi.
Spokesperson for the party, Darlington Nwauju, who confirmed the attack, said Nwuzi was whisked away by his attackers to an unknown destination.
Nwauju in a statement, listed party members, who have been attacked since last week as Chijindu Innocent (Omuma) Emma .T. (Ward 2, Umuokpurukpu village), whose two houses were destroyed, Victory Agbara Ngbagbu (Tai) and Ephraim Nwuzi (Etche L.G.A).
The Guardian also gathered that residence of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) House of Representatives candidate for Obio-Akpor Constituency, Tony Gboms, was also attacked yesterday and properties damaged.
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