Service Producer of the Voice of America (VOA) Grace Alheri Abdu, has said she was lucky to be alive after soldiers held her in Oyigbo, Oyigbo Local Government Area (LGA), Rivers state, for five hours as she paid a media investigative visit to the volatile area.

Andu was arrested and detained by the soldiers at about 2pm Saturday till about 7pm when she regained freedom after several alleged interventions by key stakeholders.

The VOA personality who said the soldiers who held her were “all drunk and intoxicated”, narrated that, “They told me to thank my God that I was a female journalist, and not from any of the media houses based in Port Harcourt otherwise they would have wasted me and that nothing would happen.”

The soldiers had allegedly accused her of running live broadcast of her assignment in Oyigbo, as well as transmitting military operations in the volatile area live without permission.

She denied the allegations, claiming that as soon arriving Oyigbo, dropped off by a relation, also a journalist, she walked down to a group of soldiers by the Oyigbo Expressway, and introduced herself.

She further claimed she sought their permission to snap photo shots of the burnt Oyigbo Police Station with one of the soldiers responding that since it was a police station, it was only the police that could grant her request or otherwise.

The soldiers were said to have been infuriated when, in defiance of their caution, the VOA reporter had moved to the area of the burnt police station, and with no single policeman on sight, clicked her camera on the scene.

Interventions that led to her release include a statements from the United States Embassy in Nigeria directed at the Nigerian military hierarchy, those from the West African Journalists’ Association, WAJA, foreign and local rights groups.

Spokesman of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj Charles Ekeocha could not be reached for reaction to the development at the time of filing this report.

Rights activist, Enefaa Georgewill, one of the persons who hyped Abdu’s arrest said his Rivers Civil Society Organisations would not bow to “dictatorship”.

Juliusmalema:
Seems Air Vice Marshall Nyesom Wike Is not yet done with Oyigbo people.

By now Soldiers supposed to have vacated the community. What are they still doing there?

Wike can't come on media to say one thing and behind encouraging ethnic cleansing to be going on.


Why is Governor Nyesom Wike hell bent of wiping the people of Oyigbo out from the surface of this earth.


Recently the media authoritatively states as reported by premium and guard that over 30 Igbos were gruesomely Murdered In cold blood under Wike's directive and nearly 40 something currently missing and over 60 in hospital for various varying degrees of injuries all on the order of Wike.

Mokason288:

On the order of Wike... who told you Governors gives orders to the military?

Don’t make me call you a goat

Mokason288:

On the order of Wike... who told you Governors gives orders to the military?

Don’t make me call you a goat

Okoroawusa:
You will not see the usual people here o!

But if na Lagos this one happen the Twitter activists led by Sowore n his useless Saharareporters will not allow us hear word. That's when they will remember that tinubu is holding their destiny and only the commander in chief can direct soldiers.

Ndi uchu!!!

Juliusmalema:



That you have no investment in your father's compound or have anything to show that it is yours in your father's compound is not the reason you will attack others.


If you will live and die in Lagos...that's good but allow those who knows the worth of home to air their view.

You are not the only one residing in Lagos.

Okoroawusa:

Nna, I have investments in the East more than you.

Point of correction, I don't reside in Lagos. I live in Lagos.

Conrod:
It took the intervention of the us embassy to have her released......if this can happen to a voice of american staff,imagine the plight of an ordinary obigbo resident.

Juliusmalema:


You have NADA in east. Nobody who has such will go about disparaging others who have reasons to be shuttling to and fro....east and west.

Attacking others here because they choose their path is the height of nonsense.

You can live and die in lagos if possible drop a will for your children to be buried there but allow others airr their view.

Whether they are in pdp, apc, labour shouldn't be your concern. let them be same way nobody is questioning why you decided to be buried in lagos.


I don't care how you put it but it ends that you reside in lagos. That's where you reside.

The English is not a confusing one.

Okoroawusa:
You will not see the usual people here o!

But if na Lagos this one happen the Twitter activists led by Sowore n his useless Saharareporters will not allow us hear word. That's when they will remember that tinubu is holding their destiny and only the commander in chief can direct soldiers.

Ndi uchu!!!