By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Some agents of the Anambra State government, led by the Anambra State Physical Planning Board (ANSPPB), have been accused of demolishing some property belonging to the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) in Onitsha and also brutalizing journalists.
The incident, which reportedly happened over the weekend, saw a large number of officers of different enforcement agencies and armed security operatives storm the scene of the demolition exercise at the Trans Nkisi Phase 1 area of Onitsha.
A video from the scene, which has gone viral on social media, also shows a caterpillar pulling down some structures within the axis of the NTA, Onitsha office. The video also shows a crisis scene, a damaged camera on the ground, some injured victims who were said to have been brutalized by the Joint Taskforce who carried out the demolition exercise, as well as some occupants/owners of the demolished structures.
According to Franklin Onyekachi of the NTA News, Onitsha, whose voiceover accompanies the video, the men, numbering over 50, invaded the premises without any prior notice or demolition warning and demolished parts of the property of the Station.
“They were led by officers of the Anambra State Physical Planning Board, uniformed men and a faction of the State Trans-Nkisi Landlords Association, amongst other unidentified persons.
“The news crew who made efforts to record the invasion and amidst grave intimidation were beaten up with the cameras damaged, while their phones were made away with,” Onyekachi recounted.
Continuing, the reporter said when the General Manager of the Station, Violet Nnadi, demanded evidence of the demolition approval, the operatives equally beat her up, tore her blouse and seized her phone.
Recounting her ordeal in the video, whose blouse was visibly torn, attested that they were not given any notice or warning before the demolition.
Her words: “I said they cannot demolish anything without proper information. They didn’t give us any notice. Just because they are dragging this land, all they want is to drag this land.
“They want to take NTA’s land. And I tried to stop them. I said they didn’t give me any pre-notice. And they tore my clothes and beat me up.”
The General Manager’s narrative was corroborated by an eyewitness, Deborah Nwabeke, who also recounted how she was brutalized by the people.
“They rushed and slapped her. They started beating her, hitting her up. Then I started filming with my phone… When I was now filming them, a man quickly slapped me. I didn’t know how one followed me and slapped me. With the other one, all of them rushed me.
“They pushed me down and collected my phone. And I told them, I’m a staff of NTA. They said who authorized me to film them? Why would I start filming them? What is the Federal Government with the government of Soludo? That here is the government of Soludo, not the Federal Government,” Nwabeke narrated.
In their separate remarks, Onyebuchi Anigbogu of the Wazobia FM; a nursing mother and shop owner, Blessing Alaeze; and another victim, Mariagorrati Ibekwe, all recounted their individual ordeals, losses, intimidations, and brutalities suffered at the hands of the government team and officers who carried out the demolition exercise; even as the nursing mother recounted how she fell into the gutter with her baby during the exercise.
While alleging that and wondering why other lock-up shops within the Estate were not demolished except those on NTA’s property; the staff and management of NTA Onitsha, as well as the victims called on the government at all levels and all relevant security agencies to intervene on the issue to ensure their safety, as well as secure justice and the property of the Station.
This reporter, Izunna Okafor, however, gathered from government source that the Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Physical Planning Board in charge of Onitsha North Local Planning Authority, Mr. Egbe Emmanuel, during the demolition exercise, stated that “the Board had visited the area severally and issued removal notice on the shanties scattered within the axis of the NTA, Onitsha office which the developers outrightly ignored, hence the exercise.”
Source: 247Ureports
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