Police detain, release NTA reporter in Benue

Police at about 7:30 am arrested a Principal reporter with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Makurdi network center, comrade Eunice Nyiutsa at high level area on Sunday while monitoring church’s stay at home directives to check the spread of coronavirus in the state.

Narrating her ordeal, she said at about 7:30 am along 5th avenue at Iorkyaa Ako street, while on duty, a group were holding what look like a crusade in one compound and as she was waiting for her camera man to arrive, the police had stormed the compound and arrested the congregants including a pastor.

According to her, she was using her android cell phone to capture the scene but the police stopped and asked her to identify herself which she did but was forced into the waiting vehicle and taken to the B. Division of the Nigeria Police station of the Benue state command.

The NTA reporter disclosed that the police seized her telephone and attempted to also seized her identity card at the station which she resisted but was forced to go in close contact with other accused persons in flagrant disobedience to the social distancing policy of Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC).

Nigeria Union of Journalists Benue State council vice chairman Comrade Kajo Martins who led members to the B. Division police station to secure the release of comrade Nyiutsa described the police action as a high point of barbarism, coming at the time media men and security agents should be working in synergy to tackle this epidemic.

He however, commended a former PPRO in the state for his prompt intervention that led to the release of the NTA reporter.

The zonal Director of NTA Makurdi network center, Mr. Pam Dung Nyam who promptly arrived the B. Division police station expressed sadness over the matter and promised to lodge a formal complaint to the relevant authority.

At the time of filing this report, the police were yet to release comrade Nyiutsa’s telephone to her as the PPRO while responding to a text message simply said “I will get back to you”.