This is a disgraceful’ – HURIWA blows hot as Benue govt shuts down David Mark’s Joy FM in Otukpo

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed strong condemnation over the closure of Joy FM 96.5, Otukpo, by the Benue State government, describing the act as a grave assault on press freedom and democracy in Nigeria.

The station was reportedly shut down on Thursday in a dramatic and forceful manner. Eyewitness accounts revealed that heavily armed policemen, allegedly acting under the directive of Benue Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) Chairman, Mr. Sunday Odagba, and Mr. Ikwue Ikwue of the State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Otukpo Zone, stormed the premises. Staff members were reportedly assaulted, and a journalist delivering the 1 pm news bulletin was forced at gunpoint to stop the broadcast.

In a statement released on Friday by HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group described the action as state-sponsored thuggery, warning that it marked a dangerous precedent for media suppression in a democracy.

“This is a disgraceful and unacceptable act of intimidation against a legitimate media organisation,” HURIWA stated. “The use of armed policemen to shut down a media house under the guise of tax enforcement is an excessive display of power and a violation of constitutional provisions that guarantee press freedom.”

HURIWA called on Governor Hyacinth Alia to immediately reopen Joy FM and investigate the officials responsible for the unlawful operation. It argued that any outstanding levies owed by the station should have been addressed through legal and civil processes, not through an armed invasion.

“The claim that Joy FM owed N150,000 for a business premises levy is laughable. Was the only solution to deploy heavily armed policemen as if they were chasing criminals? This barbaric action only exposes the political motives behind the closure,” the statement added.

HURIWA emphasized that arbitrary closures of media houses undermine democracy, warning that such actions could embolden other state governments to suppress the press.

The rights group also criticized the Nigeria Police Force for its involvement, questioning how a state government was able to deploy armed operatives for a tax enforcement exercise. “The police must explain how they allowed themselves to be used in this oppressive manner. Nigeria is not a military dictatorship, yet journalists are being forced to stop their broadcasts at gunpoint,” the group said.

HURIWA urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to intervene immediately, demanding that Joy FM be allowed to resume operations without further harassment.

The group further warned that if the state government fails to reverse its actions, it will mobilize civil society organizations, legal experts, and international human rights bodies to challenge the closure in court and raise global awareness about the worsening state of press freedom in Nigeria.

“This incident is not just about Joy FM; it is about the future of free speech and media independence in Nigeria. The government must act now to restore faith in democratic principles,” HURIWA declared.