Suspected political thugs on Friday night attacked a well-known hotel in the Orazi area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, abruptly disrupting a live Arise News Television interview with a former Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment, Dr. Leloonu Nwibubasa.
The Arise News TV crew was reportedly conducting the live interview at the hotel when the assailants stormed the premises while Nwibubasa was discussing the political climate in the state. Eyewitnesses said the attackers, who were believed to be armed, arrived at about 9:15 p.m. and forcefully broke into several hotel rooms in search of the former commissioner and the Arise News cameraman.
According to witnesses, the hoodlums were chanting in their local dialect, breaking down doors and confiscating phones from occupants, causing panic among hotel staff and guests. Workers were seen fleeing in different directions as the situation escalated.
It was gathered that the attackers eventually located the area where the interview was ongoing and issued threats against Nwibubasa and members of the Arise News crew, forcing the immediate termination of the live broadcast.
One of the Arise News reporters disclosed that he received an urgent distress call from his colleague and rushed to the hotel while alerting the police control room and other media colleagues. He said the police responded promptly, and by the time he arrived, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area and his officers were already at the scene.
Working alongside the hotel manager, the police ensured that the former commissioner and the journalist were safely evacuated from the hotel and taken to the Kala Police Station. He added that statements had since been taken from those involved.
Also speaking, an Arise News TV cameraman identified as Promise said several pieces of his equipment were seized during the attack, including a Sony Canada Z280 camera, an industrial tripod, a wireless microphone and other accessories. He expressed shock over the incident, noting that he had just concluded filing a report from an earlier assignment before commencing the live programme, News Night.
Promise added that the assailants made threatening remarks but fled upon noticing the arrival of police officers responding to the distress calls.
Confirming the incident, Nwibubasa said he was safe and credited the police for coming to his rescue. He condemned the attack, describing it as a dangerous development for democracy.
According to him, he was rounding off the interview and discussing the 2027 general elections when the attackers struck, warning that the incident signaled troubling signs ahead. He questioned why doors were broken in a bid to locate him, stressing that Nigeria is meant to be a free society.
Efforts by SaharaReporters on Saturday to obtain a response from the Rivers State Police Command spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, were unsuccessful, as repeated calls and messages sent to her phone went unanswered.