By Emmanuel Thomas l Sunday, Sept 13, 2026
KADUNA — Rights watchdog Amnesty International has strongly condemned a violent raid by a contingent of heavily armed police officers on the premises of JKD TV/Hamada Radio Network, located at Millennium City in Kaduna, calling the incident an outrageous assault on press freedom in Nigeria.
The raid, which occurred on Friday, September 11, 2026, resulted in the arbitrary arrest of the station’s General Manager, Mr. Charles Abah, alongside a security guard on duty.
According to eyewitness accounts and reports from station staff, security operatives stormed the facility without prior notice, creating panic within the media hub and surrounding business community.
Police Target Journalist Over Presidential Aide Video
Police officers on the scene reportedly stated that they were acting on “explicit instructions” to arrest broadcast journalist Zainab Salihu Yabagi.
The direct cause of the raid involves a video explainer produced and broadcast by JKD Radio & Television focusing on Mr. Ibrahim Kabir Masari, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Political Affairs.
The Kaduna State Police Command subsequently declared Zainab Yabagi wanted, sparking intense outrage among media practitioners and civil society groups who view the action as a direct attempt to silence critical journalism.
In a statement released shortly after the incident, Amnesty International accused the Nigerian government of creating an increasingly hostile environment for independent news organizations.
”The invasion of JKD TV and Hamada Radio Network demonstrates President Bola Tinubu’s government’s utter disregard for freedom of expression and contempt for media freedom,” the human rights organization declared. “The Government of Nigeria is increasingly making it difficult for the media to report on issues of public interest without fear of reprisals.”
Amnesty emphasized that the assault on the Kaduna-based station forms part of a disturbing nationwide pattern meant to instill fear in newsrooms, suppress critical analysis, and deter journalists from holding public office holders accountable.
”No government official — no matter his status — is above scrutiny and criticism in the interest of the public,” the statement continued. “This is a clear case of abuse of power. Such targeting of independent media is solely aimed at depriving people of the opportunity to receive fair and objective reporting of issues affecting their lives. An attack on the media is an attack on freedom.”
The incident at JKD TV comes amid growing international and domestic concern over the safety of media professionals and the shrinking space for free expression across Nigeria.
Over the past few years, media watchdogs including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Press Centre (IPC) have documented dozens of cases involving the arbitrary detention, harassment, and assault of journalists by security agencies. In many instances, provisions of the Cybercrime Act and criminal defamation laws have been leveraged by political elites to detain reporters and intimidate broadcast houses.
This latest raid highlights the persistent friction between state security forces and independent broadcasting stations in northern Nigeria.
Regional broadcast hubs have increasingly found themselves target practice for law enforcement officers operating on the orders of political figures seeking to quell investigative reports or politically sensitive explainers.
Legal experts and press freedom advocates argue that issuing arrest warrants and declaring journalists wanted over investigative content undermines Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which mandates the press to hold the government accountable to the people.
As of press time, the Kaduna State Police Command has yet to release an official press statement explaining the legal grounds for declaring Ms. Yabagi wanted or detailing the current status of the detained General Manager, Mr. Charles Abah, and the security officer.
Calls from media rights advocacy groups continue to pour in, demanding the immediate, unconditional release of the detained staff and an end to the harassment of independent journalism in Nigeria.
