Journalists with ARISE News Television were forced to halt a live broadcast on January 2, 2026, by suspected political thugs at the Londa Hotel in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State. The ARISE TV team was conducting an interview with Dr. Leloonu Nwibubasa, a former Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment in Rivers State, regarding the political situation in the area when a group of individuals believed to be political thugs invaded the location at approximately 9:15 p.m.
Witnesses reported that the attackers were armed, forced their way into hotel rooms, confiscated mobile phones, and threatened guests while searching for Dr. Nwibubasa and the Arise TV crew. They claimed that the interview was being held in their territory and accused the interview of being biased against the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
According to a statement from Arise TV, the attackers later located the broadcasting location, intimidated the ARISE News team, and forced the interview to be discontinued. The camera, tripod, wireless microphones, and other accessories used for the interview were also seized by the attackers. The statement further notes that a member of the crew sent a distress message to a colleague, who alerted the police.
The The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) joins the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in strongly condemning the assault. The NUJ has described the attack as a dangerous escalation in threats against media workers and has demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the attack, emphasising that journalists must be allowed to operate without intimidation or harassment.
The Foundation also commends the solidarity action by Port Harcourt-based media organisations and publishers who have threatened to boycott police activities unless the authorities promptly investigate and hold accountable the perpetrators of the attack on the ARISE TV crew. The group are of the view that failure to prosecute those involved could embolden further attacks on journalists in the run-up to Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
