An Anambra-based journalist, Mr Izunna Okafor, was harassed and briefly detained on December 10, 2025, by security personnel at the entrance of the Anambra State House of Assembly Complex in Awka while he was on an official assignment to the legislative body to cover the budget defence of the State’s Commissioner for Power and Water Resources, Mr. Julius Chukwuemeka.
Okafor, who arrived to cover the budget defence of the Commissioner for Power and Water Resources, said security officers first ordered him to park his vehicle outside the premises. He said despite identifying himself as a journalist and explaining his assignment, the officers blocked him from entering, demanded he personally call the Commissioner for clearance, and then physically pushed him back when he attempted to proceed.
When Okafor began recording the encounter, the officers seized his two phones, stopped the recording, searched through his devices, and continued denying him access. The confrontation escalated as he was dragged, threatened with detention at B-Division, and taken to the Assembly’s detention post, where officers demanded he sit on the floor and allegedly threatened further punishment.
He added that attempts by the Commissioner to intervene initially failed, as the officers insisted that he must first be detained. Okafor was later taken towards B-Division before being called back to the Assembly premises, where discussions involving officials and observers took place. Security officers reportedly demanded an apology letter and an undertaking before his release, but others present resisted the demand.
He was eventually freed, but only after playing the audio recording of the incident, upon which the House Member on the scene ordered the recording deleted before his phone was returned.
The Anambra State Police Command, however, denied that Okafor was ever detained, insisting that its officers only followed standard security protocols to verify his identity and confirm the authenticity of his invitation to the Assembly complex.
According to the Command, the process was routine and non-punitive, adding that the “enemy” remark heard during the encounter was merely a situational outburst that arose from what they described as the journalist’s unsatisfactory explanation. Police further noted that the individual who invited Okafor was neither a staff member nor a lawmaker but was also present on invitation, stressing that the matter was resolved on the spot. The Command reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a professional relationship with journalists, whom it described as vital partners in advancing public safety and accountability.
