Police, DSS ‘lay siege’ to AIT, Raypower head office

Hours after the reopening of offices of Africa Independent Television (AIT) and RayPower FM, policemen and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) reportedly laid siege to the head office of DAAR Communications in Asokoro, Abuja.

Group managing director of DAAR Communications, Tony Akiotu, disclosed this in a message sent to TheCable on Saturday morning.

The two broadcast houses, shut down on Thursday, had resumed transmission Friday evening following an order by a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday.

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) had shut the stations over what it described as breach of its rules.

READ ALSO: NLC worried suspension of AIT licence could increase insecurity

However, Akiotu on Saturday reported that heavily armed security operatives gathered around the station premises at 12:30am on Saturday.

Akiotu who explained that the stations resumed operations in line with the court’s directive stated that the motives of the armed men in the premises of the media company was unclear.

He said: “As at 12.30am this morning, the premises of DAAR Communications Plc is surrounded by security operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the DSS.

“The motive for the siege is not clear at the moment. They are heavily fortified and carrying out surveillance on the premises. The motive for the unusual surveillance is not clear. DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC returned to the airwaves following an exparte motion granted by the Federal high court in Abuja.

“The station is still transmitting signals on its National and global beam. The management of DAAR Communications Plc wishes to alert Nigerians to this unwarranted threat to its operations by operatives of the State Security services.”

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