Before the arrival of the
police, the mob had capitalised on the situation to rob employees of the
studios of their money, mobile handsets and other valuables, it was learnt.
Pandemonium descend in
Yenagoa Bayelsa State, on Thursday, following an armed invasion of Rhythm FM
radio station, owned by Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, by armed members of the Ijaw
Youth Council.
The angry youth, who
stormed the studio in buses and other vehicles, were after two executive
members of the IYC and guests of a live radio programme, Talk of the Town,
anchored by Lishman Onisodemuya.
They invaded the station in
large numbers, causing panic as they released volleys of gunshots into the air
and forcing employees in the radio and tv studios of the Silverbird Group to
scamper for safety.
Brandishing other dangerous
weapons, they broke into the radio studio, interrupted the programme and
dragged out the National Mobilisation Officer of IYC, Mr. Wisdom Ikuli, and a
self-acclaimed spokesman for the council, Mike Edounkimor, who were guests of
the programme.
It was learnt that the
youth allegedly beat Ikuli and Edounkimor to stupor, with bruises all over
their faces.
The youth had allegedly
attempted to bundle them (Ikuli and Edounkimor) into one of the vehicles but
for the intervention of riot policemen who came in the nick of time.
The radio studio was
temporarily shut down after listeners heard people screaming and running for
cover.
But the policemen, who
arrived the area, were said to have arrested and handcuffed the duo and took
them to the Ekeki Police Station, in Yenagoa.
IYC was recently thrown
into crisis following the claims of six out of the 10-member executive council
that the IYC President, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, and the council’s spokesman, Mr.
Eric Omare, had been suspended.
But the Speaker of IYC
Mobile Parliament, Mr. Mkpon Ijonama, said reports that Eradiri and Omare had
been suspended were the handiwork of a few misguided members of the IYC
executives.
But trouble was said to
have started on Thursday when Ikuli appeared on the programme to respond to
issues raised by Eradiri, who on Wednesday, was a guest of the same programme.
Ikuli was said to have
invited violence when he announced on radio that Eradiri and Omare had been
removed and warned them to stop parading themselves as the President and
spokesman of the IYC.
- but must Ijaw youths
always take up every issue with violence?
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