Benue govt seals David Mark’s Joy FM over tax

Benue govt seals David Mark’s Joy FM over tax

* It’s attack on press freedom – MD

By Madina Salawu

Benue State Government has shut Joy FM 96.5 Otukpo, a radio station owned by former Senate President David Mark.

Officials of the Benue Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), who reportedly arrived on the premises on Thursday accompanied by two trucks full of armed police officers, carried out the shutdown during an afternoon news session.

Managing Director of Joy FM, Amb. Christabel Iyanya, condemned the raid, describing it as an unwarranted show of force that left employees terrified. “They broke down doors, pointed guns at our staff, and forcefully evicted them from the building. This is an attack on press freedom,” she stated.

Eyewitnesses said the heavily armed officers stormed the station, forcibly gaining entry through the doors.

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Staff members were allegedly manhandled and threatened, with news broadcaster Oloche Adeyi reportedly held at gunpoint and forced to stop reading the 1pm news bulletin.

Iyanya said the authorities claimed the shutdown was due to an outstanding N150,000 business premises fee.

She refuted this, stating that the station was unaware of any such debt.

“If we owed, we would have paid immediately. We have been in operation for almost two decades and have never defaulted on any payments,” she added.

Iyanya, a deputy national president of the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters, vowed to challenge the closure, arguing that the circumstances suggest a motive beyond taxation.

“This action raises serious questions. We demand an explanation why Joy FM was targeted in this manner,” she stated.

The closure has sparked concerns of political interference in the state’s journalism practice, with many calling for an investigation into the government’s actions.

Benue govt seals David Mark’s Joy FM over tax