The Benue State Government forcibly shut down Joy FM 96.5 Otukpo, a radio station owned by former Senate President Dr. David Mark, in a dramatic operation on Thursday.
The station, which has been broadcasting since 2006 and serves multiple states due to its high-frequency coverage, was reportedly stormed around 1 p.m. by heavily armed policemen transported in two trucks.
The operation was led by the Chairman of the Benue Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), Mr. Sunday Odagba, and Mr. Ikwue Ikwue from the State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Otukpo Zone.
According to eyewitnesses, staff members on duty were allegedly manhandled, and the newscaster, Mr. Oloche Adeyi, was forced at gunpoint to halt the 1 p.m. news bulletin.
The station’s Managing Director, Amb. Christabel Iyanya, confirmed the incident, describing it 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 stated.
Iyanya also alleged that the government justified the action by claiming the station owed ₦150,000 in business premises fees—an allegation she denied, insisting that the station had never defaulted on any payments in nearly two decades of operation.
“This is beyond a tax issue; there is more to it. We will not let this go unchallenged,” she declared, vowing to seek redress.
The government is yet to issue an official statement on the closure.
