Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The raid happened on a Friday. That much is not in dispute. What remains contested is why a contingent of heavily armed police officers stormed the premises of JKD TV and Hamada Radio Network in Millennium City, Kaduna, and walked out with the station's General Manager, Charles Abah, and a security guard in handcuffs. The police said they were looking for a journalist, Zainab Salihu Yabagi. The station said the officers forced their way in. Amnesty International said it was an attack on press freedom. And the Kaduna State Police Command said Yabagi had been declared wanted.
The controversy erupted on September 11, 2026, when police operatives invaded the broadcast station in search of Yabagi, who had produced a video explainer concerning Ibrahim Kabir Masari, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Political Affairs. According to Amnesty International and the station's management, the police claimed they had instructions to arrest Yabagi over the video, which was produced and presented by her for JKD Radio and Television. The station's management confirmed that Abah and the security guard were taken to the Kaduna State Police Command. The police had earlier declared Yabagi wanted in connection with the matter. By the weekend, Abah and the security guard had been released, but Yabagi remained in the crosshairs, her whereabouts unknown and her husband reportedly arrested.
Amnesty International Nigeria did not mince words. The organisation described the raid as an "unlawful and outrageous invasion" of the station's premises by a contingent of heavily armed police. It condemned the arbitrary arrest of Abah and the security guard and warned that the incident was part of a wider pattern of attempts to create a climate of fear across newsrooms in Nigeria. "Attacking JKD Radio/Television is part of a wider pattern of attempts to create a climate of fear across newsrooms in Nigeria and to make it harder for journalists to do their job," the organisation said. Amnesty also stressed that "no government official, no matter his status, is above scrutiny and criticism in the interest of the public," adding that "an attack on the media is an attack on freedom."
The organisation called on Nigerian authorities to respect freedom of expression and media freedom, and to ensure that journalists are not subjected to reprisals for reporting on matters of public interest. It also demanded the immediate release of those detained and expressed deep concern that police were still seeking to arbitrarily arrest Yabagi. "Even though both the station manager Charle Abah and the security guard arrested on Friday 11 Sept. 2026 were released, Zainab is still being hunted," Amnesty said, describing the situation as "a clear case of disregard for due process and abuse of power."
The incident raises troubling questions about the limits of police power and the safety of journalists in Nigeria. The Nigeria Police Act 2020 sets out the circumstances under which arrests may be made, with or without a warrant, and requires that where a warrant is issued, it must identify the offence or matter involved and the suspect to be arrested. The Act also provides rules governing how warrants are executed and when they must be shown to an arrested person. Whether those rules were followed in the JKD TV raid remains unclear. The police have not publicly disclosed the specific legal basis for the operation or the nature of the offence for which Yabagi is wanted. The Kaduna State Police Command has continued to issue public statements on other incidents, including its handling of a political rally and criminal investigations, but has remained largely silent on the raid that has now drawn international condemnation.
The controversy is not the first time the Tinubu administration has been accused of targeting journalists and media organisations. Amnesty International has previously condemned what it described as increasing pressure on the media, warning that the government is making it difficult for journalists to report on issues of public interest without fear of reprisals. In its statement, the organisation accused the government of "utter disregard for freedom of expression and media freedom," describing the raid on JKD TV as part of a broader campaign to intimidate independent media and deprive Nigerians of access to fair and objective reporting.
JKD TV and Hamada Radio Network is chaired by Yusuf Mamman, a former Nigerian ambassador to Spain and former spokesman for former military Head of State General Ibrahim Babangida. The station has a reputation for independent reporting, and the video explainer concerning Masari appears to have touched a nerve within the presidency. The exact content of the explainer has not been widely circulated, but the fact that it prompted an armed police raid and a wanted declaration suggests that it was perceived as damaging to the presidential aide.
The targeting of Yabagi, a journalist and presenter, is particularly concerning because it sends a chilling message to newsrooms across the country. If a journalist can be declared wanted and forced into hiding over a video explainer about a presidential adviser, what does that mean for the freedom of the press in Nigeria? The implications are profound. Journalists who investigate or report on politically sensitive issues may think twice before publishing, fearing that they could face arrest, harassment, or worse. Media organisations may become more cautious, self-censoring to avoid provoking the wrath of powerful officials. And the public, denied access to critical information, is left less able to hold those in power accountable.
Amnesty International's intervention is a welcome and necessary response to an alarming development. The organisation has called on Nigerian authorities to respect press freedom and due process, and to stop actions that could intimidate journalists or create fear within newsrooms. But statements alone will not protect Yabagi or reverse the damage done to media freedom in Nigeria. The Nigerian government must take concrete steps to demonstrate that it respects the rule of law, including by ensuring that the police operate within the bounds of their legal authority and that journalists are free to do their jobs without fear of retaliation.
The raid on JKD TV is not just a Kaduna story. It is a Nigerian story. It is a story about the shrinking space for independent journalism, the weaponisation of state security apparatus against critics, and the failure of institutions to protect the very freedoms they are meant to uphold. The police say they are looking for Yabagi. But what they are really looking for is silence. And silence, in a democracy, is the most dangerous thing of all.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments