By CHIDI NKWOPARA, Owerri
A detachment of policemen from Imo State Police Command yesterday, stormed the premises of Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, fired teargas canisters and ransacked the entire offices.
Saturday Vanguard investigations revealed that the policemen were in NTA premises to stop scores of elected local council operators, who were recently sacked by Governor Rochas Okorocha, from making their grievances known through the television channel.
It was also gathered that the rampaging policemen disrupted operations in the station for more than 40 minutes and arrested over 200 of the protesters and took them to an unknown destination.
As at the time of going to press, the families and friends of the arrested protesters were yet to establish link with their loved ones and none was charged to court for any misdemeanor.
Reacting to the ugly incident, the General Manager of NTA Owerri, Lady Tessy Ihuoma Alfred, condemned the police action and likened it to “sheer brutality and unnecessary invasion of NTA premises.
“I do not like the police action. I condemn it in its entirety. The demonstration by the elected local government councilors was very peaceful. I expected the policemen or their leader to at least come and see the General Manager, GM, but they felt they are above the law”, Lady Alfred fumed.
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Police raid NTA premises