The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has condemned what it described as an attack on press freedom in Imo State, following a violent mob assault on Uchechukwu Olebara, a journalist with Radio Maria 106.7 FM, Owerri and the prevailing culture of impunity allegedly aided by the state government.
On Monday, 13 October, Mr Olebara was assaulted by operatives of the State Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Unit. Efforts to seek justice, according to CJID, have further exposed the depth of impunity against journalists in the state.
In a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Journalism Programme at CJID, Busola Ajibola, the organisation called for an immediate end to the intimidation of journalists in Imo State. It reaffirmed its position that journalists’ constitutional right to carry out their lawful duties must be protected at all times.
The Centre described the incident as a “worrisome development” and urged the State Governor, Hope Uzodinma to immediately order a thorough investigation, prosecute those responsible, and compensate the victim for the assault and destruction of his property.
How it started
According to CJID, Mr Olebara, popularly known as Cool DJ Blaze, was attacked on Monday by men of the State Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Unit while observing a demolition exercise at the New Owerri Roundabout.
The journalist explained that after identifying himself to one of the operatives, he was falsely accused of attempting to record the demolition before being surrounded by a mob that smashed his blue Toyota Corolla with machetes, clubs, and stones. He was forced to flee the scene to save his life as his vehicle was vandalised.
When contacted, the Special Assistant to Governor Uzodinma on Monitoring and Compliance, Nze Nwaneri, reportedly dismissed the attack, alleging that the journalist was “operating an illegal taxi service.”
CJID, however, described the claim as a baseless attempt to justify violence and divert attention from the real issue, the harassment of the press.
“The attempt by the head of the state agency, Mr Nwaneri, to justify this violence by baselessly accusing Mr Olebara of operating an illegal taxi service is an effort to deflect from the facts. Even if a citizen were to commit a traffic infraction, the lawful response would be a citation, not mob violence, physical assault, or the destruction of private property,” the Centre stated.
CJID further noted that despite the journalist’s denial of operating an illegal taxi, the response from the state police reflected impunity and collusion.
“Mr Olebara has denied being involved in any illegal taxi operations. The response he received from the New Owerri police, advising him to ‘call Mr Nwaneri and settle with him’ after officially reporting the assault, demonstrates a terrifying level of collusion and impunity in the system,” the statement added.
A pattern of intimidation
CJID said the assault is not an isolated case but part of a worrying pattern of attacks on journalists in Imo State under Mr Uzodinma’s administration.
The organisation’s Press Attack Tracker recorded similar incidents, including the January 2024 assault on Newsbreak reporter, Kelechi Ugo; threats against Otikpu Newspaper publisher, Anslem Anokwute in July 2024, and repeated police raids on Nigerian Watchdog offices.
The Centre noted that these recurring assaults paint a grim picture of press freedom in the state. It referenced its Openness Index, which ranks Imo 37th nationwide for media freedom, the lowest ranking in the country and an indication that the state has become one of the most dangerous places for journalists to work in Nigeria.
Demands
The Centre called on the governor to publicly condemn the assault and launch an independent investigation into the conduct of the Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Unit, led by Mr Nwaneri.
It further demanded that all officials involved in the attack be prosecuted and that full compensation be paid to Mr Olebara for the destruction of his vehicle and the psychological trauma suffered.
“The Imo State Government must take full responsibility for the actions of its agents, provide full compensation to Mr Olebara for the destruction of his vehicle, and address the physical and psychological trauma inflicted upon him.
“The government must put an immediate end to this reign of terror, dismantle the apparatus of intimidation, and guarantee the safety and constitutional rights of all journalists working in the state.”
The Centre maintained that the constitutional right of journalists to go about their lawful duties must be protected at all times, as the safety of journalists is critical to the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.