By: Bayero Ade
The Benue State Government has forcibly shut down Joy FM 96.5 Otukpo, a radio station owned by former Senate President Dr. David Mark, in a dramatic raid on Thursday.
According to Afripost, the radio station, which has been in operation since 2006 and serves several states due to its strong signal, was reportedly stormed by heavily armed policemen at approximately 1 p.m. The police arrived in two trucks and carried out the operation under the direction of Sunday Odagba, Chairman of the Benue Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), and Ikwue Ikwue from the State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Otukpo Zone.
Eyewitnesses reported that station staff were allegedly manhandled, with newscaster Oloche Adeyi being forced at gunpoint to halt the live 1 p.m. news broadcast.
The station’s Managing Director, Amb. Christabel Iyanya, confirmed the incident, describing the raid as an unprecedented and excessive use of force. “They stormed the station without prior notice, creating panic. My staff, including the receptionist and newsroom personnel, were roughed up. They even barged into the studio with armed officers and forced the newsreader to stop the broadcast at gunpoint,” she said.
Iyanya also disputed the government’s claim that the station owed ₦150,000 in business premises fees, insisting that Joy FM had never defaulted on payments in its nearly two decades of operation. “This is beyond a tax issue; there is more to it. We will not let this go unchallenged,” she stated, vowing to pursue legal action.
As of now, the government has not issued an official statement regarding the closure.
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