The anchors of Channels Televisions were summoned to the Aso Villa offices of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in Abuja on Thursday following an interview they granted the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom.
On Thursday, reports emerged that anchors of the Sunrise Daily programme of the TV station were arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) over the anti-Buhari interview.
But in a statement released by DSS spokesman, Peter Afunnaya, on Thursday, the service debunked the reports, saying no reporter was arrested.
Afunnaya said, “The attention of the DSS has been drawn to news making the rounds in some sections of the media that its operatives earlier today (26th August, 2021) arrested two (2) journalists of Channels Television. This is false and misleading. Fake news peddlers should shun the act.”
Also, Channels Television released an official statement, clarifying that their reporters were not arrested but invited for a meeting by the NBC, and that the reporters had since returned from the meeting.
In an Instagram post, the convener of RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore, confirmed the summon, saying his crew stood guard at the premises of the NBC until the reporters were ‘released’. Sowore further said “We will resist any attempt to take away press freedom and free press by the tyrannical Muhammadu Buhari regime”.
