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Olebara Uchechukwu, an Imo State-based journalist and media personality, was allegedly attacked by government officials in Owerri, the state’s capital, on Monday, 13 October.
Mr Uchechukwu, popularly known as Cool DJ Blaze, posted on his Facebook page on 13 October, how he narrowly escaped mob assault by the men allegedly linked to a state-enforcement team during a demolition exercise.
He said the incident occurred near the 40/40 Roundabout, opposite Rento Hotel in New Owerri, Owerri West Local Government Area of the state, where the demolition activities were being carried out.
Mr Uchechukwu is the Editor-in-Chief at Radio Maria FM. He also served as the former general manager of Zanders FM— both in Owerri.
He is also currently the South-east zonal coordinator of the Deejay Association of Nigeria.
How it happened
Mr Uchechukwu said the attack began after he identified himself as a journalist.
“I left my office today (13 October) at about 1p.m., headed towards New Owerri to check on another business that I manage, I dropped off my colleague around the Imo State Secretariat, and then headed off immediately to my actual destination.”
“On getting close to 40/40 roundabout, I noticed people looking around ‘scared’ and some running off, and immediately out of caution, I had to slow down to be certain of what the situation was. I realized upon looking further that there was an ongoing demolition process right opposite the Rento Hotel.”
“I didn’t think of it as an issue as I understand that the state government is gradually ridding the city of shanties and certain structures in a bid to make the capital city look better.”
“But then a harsh voice on the other side of the road, and a bang on the car caught my attention, and it was one of the operatives handling the demolition.”
“He asked me to halt right in the middle of the road, and I did.”
“He asked that I identify myself. I did, and immediately, upon hearing my name and profession(Journalist), he grew furious, accusing me of systematically taking records of their activities on site.”
Mr Uchechukwu said he had yet to record anything before the assault started.
“Just as I was clarifying why I slowed down and where I was headed, one of the officials raised an alarm, reached for my phone, and I stopped him. He even tried hitting me. I was lucky not to get hit.”
“I was still confused about the situation and what caused the provocation, the others ran out from the site and road side at the prompt of his harsh tone, no questions asked, next I heard were bangs on my car and attempts by some of them, to forcefully gain access into the car, my vehicles are always locked when I’m inside.”
“Noticing that they couldn’t get in, they started hitting harder, some with matchets, battens, sticks, and stones.”
“At that point, I knew that stepping down from the vehicle to address the situation, may result in me being mobbed, and probably accused falsely for one offence or another, that’s if I survive the mob action.”
Mr Uchechukwu said his vehicle was destroyed, his back windshield broken, the door handle, the front and back lamps(lights) broken, and scratches and dents on the vehicle’s body.
The journalist stated that the Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission (ENTRACO), denied the attack, saying that their men were never on that site today, that it was operatives of the “Monitoring and Compliance Office” in Imo State, that is supervised by Chinasa Nwaneri, an aide to Governor Hope Uzodimma.
ENTRACO, a government agency in Imo, handles sanitation, traffic, and environmental management in the state.
The video shared on the journalist’s Facebook page corroborated his claims that the government official damaged his vehicle.
However, Mr Uchechukwu could not identify the name of the government agency that the men who allegedly attacked him came from.
Determined to pursue justice
“Now the question I keep asking myself is: what was my offence? Why was I attacked unprovoked? Why are these people not traceable or held accountable?” he lamented.
Mr Uchechukwu, however, insisted he will pursue justice and use his platform to “sing it until our voices are heard.”
“Journalists are not enemies of the state. We sacrifice so much for a nation that often sees us as a threat. But this time, I will not keep quiet.”
When contacted, the ENTRACO spokesperson in the state, Darlington Ibekwe, said that his men were not involved in the alleged assault of the journalist.
The police spokesperson in Imo, Henry Okoye, said that he is not aware of the incident.
Mr Okoye, a deputy superintendent of police, asked the victim (Mr Uchechukwu) to report to the New Owerri Police Division, where the incident happened.
CJID, RULAAC condemn act
A development initiative, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development and a rights group, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, have condemned the violent assault on the journalist.
In separate statements on Sunday, the groups described the assault as a “vicious attack on press freedom” that reflects a climate of impunity under Governor Hope Uzodinma’s administration.
The groups said this attack adds to a disturbing pattern of targeted violence and harassment of journalists under the current administration.
The group called on the media community, civil society, and all defenders of democracy to speak out against this culture of impunity.
Imo, the most dangerous state for journalists
In its 2024 Openness Index, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development declared Imo State the worst place to be a journalist in Nigeria. The index, a subnational assessment of press freedom and civic space in Nigeria, was published in July. It ranked states based on political openness, media independence, and the safety of civic actors.
The Imo State Government quickly dismissed the report. Commissioner for Information Declan Emelumba described the report as “fraught with fallacies and sensational stunts,” insisting it was “biased, jaundiced, unreliable, and absolutely unempirical.”
