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GUNS POINTED AT PRESS: EFCC Operatives Threaten To Shoot Television Crew Over Guzape Property Siege Coverage
Loading …BY OUR REPORTER
ABUJA, NIGERIA — A volatile confrontation has erupted in the high-brow Guzape district of Abuja after armed operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) allegedly pointed weapons and threatened to shoot a television news crew.
The media crew, belonging to prominent broadcast outlet News Central Television, was led by the network’s Abuja Bureau Chief and Head of Northern Operations, Amadin Uyi. The journalists were on-site to document a breaking investigative update regarding a heavily disputed multi-billion naira property siege involving the anti-graft agency.
The Standoff at Guzape
According to field reports and live updates provided by the station, the television crew had arrived at the Guzape location to follow up on a complex legal and ownership battle surrounding the property. The site has been central to intense litigation and public controversy involving an alleged real estate developer, Rebecca Omokharo-Isaac (also known as Bilkisu Ishaku Aliyu).
The confrontation exploded after the News Central team conducted an interview with counsel representing the property owners. The defense lawyers were on camera openly accusing the EFCC of violating an active court order that expressly instructed all federal agencies and parties to maintain strict restraint pending the final determination of the substantive suit.
Incensed by the ongoing video recording of their enforcement actions, armed EFCC operatives on the scene aggressively advanced on the media team, ordering them to kill the cameras and threatening to open fire on the journalists if they didn’t immediately cease filming.
Escalating Pattern of Anti-Press Hostility
This dangerous encounter marks a worrying, repeat pattern of aggressive, physical hostility meted out by EFCC operatives against News Central Television journalists in the federal capital city.
| Date of Incident | Location in Abuja | Tactical Violation by Anti-Graft Operatives |
| January 16, 2026 | EFCC Headquarters, Jabi | Fired tear gas, manhandled the cameraman, and forcibly seized the station’s broadcast camera. |
| July 2026 | Guzape District | Intercepted news crew, used weapons to intimidate, and threatened to shoot the Bureau Chief. |
Media rights organizations and press freedom watchdogs have immediately condemned the Guzape assault, noting that threatening journalists with live ammunition represents an extreme, unlawful regression into autocracy. Activists are demanding an immediate administrative probe from the EFCC leadership to identify and discipline the trigger-happy operatives involved in the siege.
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