Imo Radio Presenter Kidnapped after Criticising OCDA Vows to Take Legal Action
Sunny Uma Anderson, a radio presenter kidnapped after criticising the Owerri Community Development Agency (OCDA,) has promised to take legal action against his abductors. Anderson was abducted on his way home on July 2 after a programme on the Reach FM, where he criticised the high-handedness of the community agency. Speaking with FIJ on Friday, Anderson said although he was yet to identify his enemies, he had a plan to engage them in a legal battle. “The reason we have not made any statement yet is that we are uncertain, up till this moment, as per who the enemies are. We want the situation to settle before I issue an official statement. A time will also come when I will initiate a legal battle against them,” he said. Following Anderson’s presentation, members of the OCDA stormed the premises of the Reach FM and got into altercations with workers. Some properties of the radio station were said to have been destroyed in the process. After close to two weeks with his abductees, the radio presenter was released on July 14. On Friday, Anderson broke a period of trauma-induced silence after his release and appeared in a video on his Facebook page thanking the people that stood by him during his trying time. He announced that his radio programmes would no longer be held in the evening but 10 am in the morning. Anderson also said that while on air, Tuesdays and Thursdays would be dedicated to issues relating to human rights violations and abuse. “The situation I just came out from is strictly that of human rights abuse. Therefore, I have decided that, going forward, my Tuesday and Thursday presentations would be dedicated to people who are being oppressed, humiliated or threatened by people who believe they have the power to do so,” he said in the video. He also said that he would be partnering with several organisations, including the Nigeria Police and the National Human Rights Commission, to ensure that oppressed people got justice. Anderson revealed that he already had many lawyers who were willing to take up Pro Bono cases for the oppressed. According to him, a part of the programme would be dedicated to youth empowerment. Credit: F.I.J