Morayo Afolabi-Brown, a television host and former managing director of TVC Entertainment, has described the moments she and her colleagues survived an attack on the Television Continental facility in Lagos during the 2020 #EndSARS protests. According to Punch, Afolabi-Brown shared this account on her Morayo TV show, which was uploaded on Tuesday, as she reflected on her tenure hosting the morning programme Your View before resigning from TVC Communications.
The former host recalled encouraging her team to speak candidly about the protests during a live broadcast the day after the Lekki massacre. Punch reported that she told her colleagues, "I want you to give it your all," urging them to voice the public sentiment despite the risks. Although four female presenters were scheduled for the show, two joined remotely from the Island, while Afolabi-Brown and a colleague named Tope were physically present in the mainland studio.
As the team discussed the issues surrounding the protests, attackers stormed the building while the programme remained on air. Afolabi-Brown noted that communication with the control room suddenly ceased, leaving her confused until someone alerted her that the intruders had entered the premises. When the staff attempted to exit the studio, they found the newsroom already occupied by attackers wielding torches and fire. The team barricaded the studio with chairs and attempted to leave via a rear exit, but gave up the idea after seeing buses ablaze outside.
While trapped inside, Afolabi-Brown contacted the police commissioner and others for assistance. Punch highlighted the efforts of Tope’s husband, who initially followed police officers before realizing his wife was still inside. In a striking detail, Afolabi-Brown mentioned that her elderly grandmother and mother-in-law walked through the chaotic area to find her, with the attackers allowing the two women to pass.
Reflecting on the incident, Afolabi-Brown stated that the experience reinforced the idea that Nigerians share a common stake in the country’s future. She described the event as painful but expressed gratitude for their survival, noting that the staff members should not be undermined by the circumstances of that day.