The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has condemned the brutal assault on Mr. Uchechukwu Olebara, a journalist with Radio Maria 106.7 FM, Owerri, and vandalization of his vehicle by operatives of the Imo State “Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Unit.”
Credible reports gathered by The News Chronicle correspondent, including Mr. Olebara’s own account, revealed that the victim was attacked on Monday, 13 October 2025, near the New Owerri Roundabout after slowing down to observe a commotion around a demolition site.
It was gathered that upon identifying himself as a journalist, one of the operatives of the unit in mufti, raised an alarm, accusing him of filming the exercise. Without provocation, a mob of operatives descended on him, wielding machetes, clubs, and stones, and vandalized his blue Toyota Corolla, smashing the windshields, mirrors, and lights.
Fearing for his life, Mr. Olebara fled the scene.
When contacted, the Special Assistant to Governor Hope Uzodinma on Monitoring and Compliance, Mr. Nze Chinasa Nwaneri, attempted to justify the assault, claiming that Mr. Olebara was “running an illegal taxi operation.”
Reacting to the development on Sunday, the Executive Director, RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma noted that the excuse is an attempt to divert attention from a clear act of violence and abuse of power by agents of the state.
According to him, even if a citizen was suspected of a traffic infraction, the lawful response should be citation or arrest, not mob violence, assault, and destruction of property.
“Equally alarming is the response Mr. Olebara reportedly received from officers of the New Owerri Police Division when he reported the incident. Instead of acting on his complaint, he was advised to ‘call the SA and settle with him.’ This statement exemplifies the deep-rooted culture of impunity, collusion, and intimidation that has rendered citizens, and particularly journalists, unsafe in Imo State.
“This attack adds to a disturbing pattern of targeted violence and harassment of journalists under the current administration, as documented by CJID and other civic watchdogs.
Previous cases include the January 2024 assault on Kelechi Ugo of Newsbreak Newspaper, who was attacked while investigating a story, and was later sued to silence him, threats by a government aide against Anslem Anokwute, publisher of Otikpu Newspaper, for a critical report in July 2024, and repeated police raids on the Nigerian Watchdog Newspaper and the ban of its correspondent from covering the State House of Assembly,” he said.
Nwanguma noted that these repeated abuses have made Imo one of the most hostile environments for press freedom in Nigeria, corroborated by CJID’s State Openness Index which ranks Imo among the least transparent and most repressive states in the federation.
The RULAAC demanded that the State Governor, Hope Uzodinma publicly condemn the assault and ensure a transparent investigation into the Imo State Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Unit and its leadership, including the SA on Monitoring and Compliance, Mr. Nze Chinasa Nwaneri.
It further demanded that all officials and operatives involved in the attack on Mr. Olebara to be immediately identified, arrested, and prosecuted according to law.
“The Imo State Government should provide full compensation to Mr. Olebara for the destruction of his vehicle and the trauma he suffered.
“The Nigeria Police Force should investigate the alleged collusion by officers of New Owerri Police Division who failed in their duty to protect a citizen and uphold the law.
“The Federal Government, through the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and other oversight bodies, takes cognizance of the worsening climate of repression in Imo State and intervenes to ensure accountability,” he said.
The RULAAC boss called on the media community, civil society, and all defenders of democracy to speak out against the culture of impunity, insisting that silence in the face of such abuse only emboldens perpetrators and weakens public accountability.
