The confrontation began as he attempted to gain access to the Assembly Complex to cover the 2026 budget defence of the Commissioner for Power and Water Resources, Engr. Julius Chukwuemeka.
A journalist based in Awka, Anambra State, Mr Izunna Okafor, has accused the police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) operatives attached to the Anambra State House of Assembly Complex of harassment, intimidation, physical assault, illegal detention, and the seizure of his mobile devices and other valuables during an assignment on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
Okafor, who works with Onyokomita News and Igbo Radio, narrated his experience to SaharaReporters on Thursday, describing the conduct of the security personnel as “overzealousness,” “pedantry,” and an abuse of power against a citizen “carrying out legitimate professional duties at a public institution.”
He said the confrontation began as he attempted to gain access to the Assembly Complex to cover the 2026 budget defence of the Commissioner for Power and Water Resources, Engr. Julius Chukwuemeka.
According to him, the encounter reflected a worsening trend of security agents applying “unnecessary and unlawful force” under the guise of enforcing “protocols.”
Providing background, Okafor said, “Public institutions exist for public service. Security operatives assigned to such institutions are meant to safeguard order, protect lives and property, and facilitate legitimate civic engagement.
“However, when the line between security and obstruction becomes blurred, the consequences often fall on innocent citizens, professionals, and democratic processes.”
He added that he had long wondered “what joy and sense of power some people, especially certain security personnel, derive from being pedantic in duty, overzealous in approach, and unnecessarily overbearing.”
This thought, he said, came back to him the moment he reached the Assembly gate.
Okafor said a police officer at the entrance shouted at him to reverse and park outside the premises.
“On approaching the gate, one of the officers stopped me and ordered that I park outside, which I obeyed,” he said.
The officer, he added, shouted, “‘Mr. Man, go back and park there,’” in a manner suggesting hostility.
After parking, he walked back to the gate, but the same officer called him again and demanded to know his identity and purpose.
Okafor said he “properly identified” himself as a journalist assigned to cover the Commissioner’s budget defence.
From the gate, he said, he could clearly see the Commissioner inside, already engaged with other journalists.
Despite his explanation, he said the officers insisted he must call the Commissioner to personally confirm his presence.
Okafor explained that both the Ministry’s Information Officer, Mrs Azuka Offor, and the House PRO, Mr Emma Madu, were visibly busy interviewing the Commissioner at that moment.
“I told them that I had even attempted calling Mrs Offor, but she declined the call, an obvious indication that she was busy,” he said.
He suggested that the officers escort him inside to verify his mission and evict him if the Commissioner disowned him.
They refused. When he attempted to step forward, he said the officers physically pushed him back.
Sensing the situation could escalate or be misrepresented, Okafor activated the audio recorder on his phone.
‘Phones Seized For Recording Encounter’
Moments later, a vehicle arrived, and as one officer stepped aside to speak with its occupant, another officer became enraged that he was recording.
“Consequently, and shockingly, they forcefully seized my two phones, stopped the recording, and began going through my phones,” he said.
He questioned why they would panic about the recording if they were “acting within lawful procedure.”
By the time the Commissioner concluded the media session he came to cover, Okafor said he had already missed the assignment entirely.
‘Officers Refuse To Release Devices’
When he requested his phones so he could leave, he said they refused. Instead, “one of the policewomen went to call the Public Relations Officer of the House, Mr Emma Madu.”
Upon arriving, Madu listened briefly, described the situation as “complex,” and walked away.
The officers then ordered him to follow them inside the complex to “clear himself” before the Commissioner. He complied.
Inside, they attempted to interrupt the Commissioner’s private engagement but were stopped by a Ministry staffer.
While waiting, Hon. Noble Igwe, Member representing Ogbaru I Constituency, approached.
“A female police officer explained the situation to him and shockingly added that they intended to detain me at the B-Division ‘to teach me a lesson,’” Okafor said.
According to him, Igwe did not ask for his own account but upheld the officers’ position, saying he had “insulted the House” and was “fortunate that the Speaker was not present.”
Sympathisers, he said, began urging him to apologise, though he still did not understand his alleged offence.
Dragged toward detention despite the commissioner’s intervention
As the lawmaker backed the officers, the Commissioner ended his private conversation and walked toward them.
Before he could respond to the Commissioner’s questions, Okafor said the officers grew emboldened.
“The police officers began dragging my trousers and pulling me forcefully for detention at their detention post at the gate,” he said.
The Commissioner pleaded with them to wait, but they insisted it was “too late.”
At the detention post, he said they ordered him to sit on the bare floor and called him an “enemy of the police,” adding that he would “pay through [his] nose today.”
He overheard discussions about handcuffs, all while his belongings remained confiscated.
After holding him for a long period, Okafor said the officers forced him into a vehicle to be taken to B-Division.
“While in the vehicle, I noticed that one of the female officers had been secretly recording me on video. When I questioned her reason, she stopped and boasted that she had already gotten what she wanted.”
As the vehicle attempted to drive out of the Assembly premises, it was suddenly recalled for discussions involving the Commissioner and the lawmaker.
The Commissioner reportedly suggested resolving the matter internally.
However, Okafor said the officers insisted he must write an apology letter and sign an undertaking before being released.
According to him, many people present rejected the demand, and he was freed without complying.
Before returning his belongings, Okafor said he was compelled to play the earlier audio recording.
After it played, the House Member insisted it be deleted. The legislator, he said, handed his phone to his aide, who privately scrolled through it and deleted the file.
As he left, Okafor overheard officers boasting that they had “taught him a lesson.”
Later, he contacted the Police Public Relations Officer of the State Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who described the incident to him as a “protocol issue.”
He said Ikenga advised that future invitations for coverage be sent to him via text message.
Okafor, however, argued that what happened raised broader concerns about professionalism and security culture.
“Protocol, while important, must never be elevated above professionalism, human dignity, and the principles of a democratic society,” he said.
He added that the abuse of force, unlawful seizure of devices, and threats of detention undermined public confidence.
“Protocol is also very important. But in a democracy, all three must operate within the boundaries of law, reason, and mutual respect,” he said,
No journalist was detained – Police Command
Reacting to the allegations, the Anambra State Police Command denied any detention or harassment, calling the encounter routine protocol enforcement.
In a statement released on Thursday, December 11, 2025, Ikenga said, “The Anambra State Police Command wishes to clarify that no journalist was detained at any point.”
According to him, personnel “merely observed standard security protocols by confirming the individual’s identity and the authenticity of his invitation.”
The procedure, he said, was “routine, non-punitive,” and aimed at protecting the facility.
He added that the “enemy” remark was “a situational statement” arising from perceived unsatisfactory explanations.
Ikenga also stated that inquiries showed “the individual who invited the journalist is not a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly or staff of the institution.”
“The Command remains committed to maintaining a cordial and professional relationship with members of the press,” he said.