Reports reaching TNG has it that operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and Department of State Security Services (DSS) on Saturday are still surrounding the premises of the broadcast station hours after it resumed operations. They were still there at mid day but were generally not stopping or harassing anyone.
Recall that the private broadcast station returned on air late Friday after enduring over 24 hours of shutdown by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
The Federal High Court in Abuja voided the government’s suspension of the station’s broadcast licence and asked it to return on air immediately.
However, few hours after resuming operations, Group Managing Director of the station, Tony Akiotu raised the alarm that security forces had gathered outside the station’s premises.
As of 12.30 a.m. this morning, the premises of DAAR Communications Plc was surrounded by security operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service, Mr Akiotu said in a message to on Saturday.
They came “heavily fortified and carrying out surveillance on the premises,” he added.
Akiotu described the surveillance as “unusual” and its motive “unclear” but said the station will not be deterred by outside forces.
“The station is still transmitting signals on its national and global beam,” Akiotu said, adding that the police and DSS’ action was an “unwarranted threat” to the station.
However, effort to reach spokespersons of the security agencies was unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.