In a dramatic turn of events, the Benue State Government has sealed off Joy FM 96.5 Otukpo, the pioneering private radio station in North Central Nigeria, owned by former Senate President Dr. David Mark. The station, established in 2006 and renowned for its extensive reach across seven states, was abruptly shut down around 1 PM on Thursday.
The operation involved two truckloads of armed policemen led by the Chairman of the Benue Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), Mr. Sunday Odagba, and Mr. Ikwue Ikwue from the State Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Otukpo Zone.
Staff members present during the incident reported being manhandled, with broadcaster Mr. Oloche Adeyi forced at gunpoint to halt the 1 PM news bulletin—a move that starkly contradicts standard media practices. Managing Director of Joy FM, Ambassador Christabel Iyanya, expressed her shock, stating, “They came and took siege on the station and caused pandemonium, as nobody was aware of their coming or the reason they have to invade a running station with 2 trucks of armed Policemen.”
The government officials claimed the closure was due to an outstanding N150,000 fee for business premises registration—a charge Iyanya disputes, noting that the station was unaware of any such debt and has a history of timely bill payments. She emphasized, “This is beyond tax. This is something they will have to explain to us. This stands condemned. We are definitely going to test this.”
This incident has raised significant concerns about the relationship between media operations and governmental authority in the region.
