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Benue seals off David Mark’s radio station, Joy FM Otukpo, truncates 1pm news bulletin

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Benue seals off David Mark’s radio station over alleged non-payment of N150k tax bill

By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor

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“They said the station was owing N150,000 for business premises. This, we were not aware of ….

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“The people who led this operation, especially Ikwue Ikwue, are from the same locality as me. He sees me all the time. If my station was owing any bill, he should have told me, and I would have paid immediately.

“We have been operating for almost two decades and have never defaulted in payment of any bills or taxes whatsoever.

“This is beyond tax. This is something they will have to explain to us. This stands condemned. We are definitely going to test this” – Christabel Iyanya, MD of Joy FM

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Joy FM Otukpo, a radio station owned by former Senate President David Mark, has been sealed off by the Benue government ostensibly over alleged non-payment of N150,000 tax bill.

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But the station’s Managing Director, Christable Iyanya, insisted that “We have been operating for almost two decades and have never defaulted in payment of any bills or taxes whatsoever.

“This is beyond tax. This is something they will have to explain to us. This stands condemned. We are definitely going to test this.”

Joy FM 96.5 Otukpo, established in 2006, is the first private radio station in the North Central, covering at least seven states due to its high-frequency modulation.

It was invaded around 1pm on Thursday by two truckloads of armed policemen reportedly led by Benue Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) Chairman Sunday Odagba and an official of Commerce and Industry Ministry, Ikwue Ikwue.

Staff on duty were allegedly roughed up and Oloche Adeyi, who was reading the 1pm network news, was forced at gunpoint to truncate the bulletin.

Joy FM Managing Director Christabel Iyanya confirmed the attack to Daily Post.

“They came and laid siege to the station, causing pandemonium, as nobody was aware of their coming or the reason they had to invade a running station with two trucks of armed policemen,” said Iyanya, who is also Broadcasters Organisation of Nigeria (BON) National Vice Chairman.

“They rough-handled my staff on duty, right from the receptionist, Juliana Ameh, to one of our old staff, Mallam Jibrin, to my head of news, Cletus Ogbaje, and even went to the studio with heavily armed policemen and forced Oloche Adeyi, who was reading the 1pm news, to stop the bulletin at gunpoint.

“They entered all the offices and drove everybody out at gunpoint. Unfortunately, I was away in Igumale, Ado Local Government Headquarters, to attend to business. All our entrance doors were destroyed.

“This is the height of it. I only watch this in movies. I have never heard nor seen a media house being invaded with such a number of armed men, over what they call business premises.

“They said the station was owing N150,000 for business premises. This, we were not aware of.

“The people who led this operation, especially Ikwue Ikwue, are from the same locality as me. He sees me all the time. If my station was owing any bill, he should have told me, and I would have paid immediately.

“We have been operating for almost two decades and have never defaulted in payment of any bills or taxes whatsoever.

“This is beyond tax. This is something they will have to explain to us. This stands condemned. We are definitely going to test this.”

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