Operatives of Anambra State anti-touting agency popularly known as SASA on Monday evening invaded the premises of Anambra State Broadcasting Service (ABS).
The dreaded operatives who swooped on the premises in their numbers wielding dangerous weapons, including pestles, which has become one of their most dreaded operational weapons also beat up staff on duty, including injuring some of them with pestles, before arresting one of the staff.
A source from the station narrated what he called a baffling incident, when the operatives numbering over 15 invaded the premises.
“They said they were in pursuit of some criminals, and they suspect that one of them ran into our premises.
“All the efforts we made to tell them that no criminal ran into our premises fell on deaf ears, as they immediately started beating and injuring our staff.
“Even when one of our senior officials came to know what the problem was, they refused to listen to him, but continued beating our staff, and finally whisked one of us away.”
The source said presently, the whereabout of the arrested staff is unknown, and all efforts by ABS to find out where he has been taken to has not yielded any fruit.
“We have been to two of their offices this evening, but we were told the team that arrested our staff were not from those offices. We are not afraid for the safety of the staff.
“The powers those people wield under this government is so much that even if they kill, no one will question them.
“We later learnt that they were able to arrest the tour they were looking for, but even at that, they refused to release our staff,” another source said.
Recall that SASA was same agency that has become known for wielding pestles about, which they use to cripple any unfortunate person accused of touting in the entire Onitsha metropolis.
A recent video which showed them torturing a man apprehended for his involvement in touting had elicited a lot of uproar, but the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo under whose mandate they operate kept sealed lips.
