Ebonyi State correspondent of the Daily Sun newspapers Chijioke Agwu and his counterpart from the Vanguard, Peter Okutu, have recounted their ordeals following a recent threat issued by the state governor, David Umahi over some news reports they wrote.
Agwu incurred the wrath of the governor for writing a report on how Lassa fever killed people in the state, while that of Okutu was because of his report about a military invasion in one of the communities in the state
Narrating his ordeal to the Nigeria Union of Journalists’ (NUJ) team led by the acting Vice President South East Zone, Mr Kenneth Ofoma, Agwu of the Daily Sun newspapers said: “I was called by the SA (special adviser) to His Excellency, Mr. Francis Nwaze, to attend a live broadcast at the new Governor’s lodge.
“There, I was brought into the Governor’s office where I was queried by the governor over a report I did on April 17, 2020 on Lassa fever.
“I was detained by the ADC on the orders of the governor for about two hours at the lodge before I was tried using the new COVID-19 law. Then, he ordered that I should be taken away by the police.
“My phone was seized during this period and I could not communicate my office or with my chapel chairman and others who were outside during the broadcast.
“At the police station, I was also denied access to my phone and was later released same day around 10 pm.
Also recounting his experience, the Vanguard correspondent Peter said he was traumatized by the incident.
“During that period, I felt neglected and not given the opportunity to do what I love most-Journalism.
“And I was thinking about my security including that of my family. Also, my wife got a call from a woman who threatened her but the caller did not disclose her number.
“On the other hand, I got consoled from the community that I, as a journalist, could save their lives and end military invasion in their area.
Daily Trust on Sunday reports that the governor had in a statewide broadcast come hard on the two correspondents.
Speaking in the broadcast, Umahi said, “We noticed that the Sun writer, Chijioke Agwu, did a very terrible allegation of people dying in droves over Lassa fever.
“I am not aware of anybody dying of Lassa fever in the last one week or two; we had 25 cases out of which many have gone home.
“I don’t know if we still have up to 5 people that are there and even the 25 are not only people from Ebonyi State; we received patients from around Southeast, North central and even South-South.
“So, to have fished out such publication… and we have invoked the Section 25 Subsection 2 of the Covid-19 2020 law and other dangerous diseases. On that note, I, the Chief Security Officer order for his arrest and prosecution, if found guilty, the law will take his course”.
The state governor in another broadcast banned the two journalists from entering the Ebonyi Government House and facilities owned by the state, including covering public functions ‘for life’.
“Ebonyi State is no longer a dumping ground. Only the other day, Chijioke Agwu (Daily Sun Correspondent) wrote that Lassa fever is killing Ebonyi people in droves and few days back, Mr Peter Okutu of Vanguard did his own.
“Okutu is fond of degrading Ebonyi State, and I don’t know why my officials have allowed him to continue to do that, because he is not from Ebonyi State.
“I want to ban him for life with Chijioke Agwu. I don’t want to see them anywhere in any Government facility,” Umahi said.
But outrage and condemnations trailed the onslaught declared against journalists by the governor.
Bodies such as the Nigeria Union of Journalists, International Press Council, Nigerian Guild of Editors; the Committee for Protection of Journalists, Nigeria Bar Association and SERAP all condemned the actions of the governor against the journalists.
NUJ National Secretary, Shuaibu Leman in a statement said, “The most recent development in which Governor Umahi was instigating attacks against journalists in the state is frightening to the Union as it signals clearly that such attacks on the media are not going to abate any soon.
“We regret to note that Governor Umahi is ingloriously attaining notoriety in his continuous harassment, detentions and insults on journalists who dare to report what he feels are against the interest of his government.
“As professionals whose responsibilities are to monitor governance and hold government accountable to the masses, journalists now live in perpetual fear of being arrested by security operatives or attacked by faceless assailants without any just cause in Ebonyi State.
“In the light of these unabated attacks and intimidation of journalists, we call once more on Governor Umahi to tread with caution because the union will hold him personally responsible for any untoward action on journalists in Ebonyi State,” the statement said.
Also reacting, the International Press Council, IPC in a statement issued by its Executive Director, Lanre Arogundabe, and Programme Manager, Stella Nwofia, described the action of the governor as “an act of executive recklessness.
“Even where alleged mistakes are made in a story, there are ways of seeking redress, including the exercise of the right of reply and not abusive use of power by ordering the arrest of a journalist.
“By taking the laws into his own hands, the Ebonyi State Governor exhibited nothing but executive lawlessness,” the statement said.
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) condemned what it described as “harassment of journalists by Ebonyi government.
NGE in its statement noted that journalists were not criminals, and should not be subjected to inhuman treatment under any guise.
“NGE urged all stakeholders to note that journalists are not criminals who should be harassed, intimidated, arrested and subjected to inhuman treatment under any guise.
Following the barrage of condemnations and outrage that trailed the development, the governor has shifted the blame on his detractors.
He said the journalists were neither intimidated nor harassed.
Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Francis Nwaze said, “The two journalists were never embarrassed, intimidated, or harassed to the knowledge of the governor in any government event as alleged and the governor never ordered for such.
“That the governor never ordered a ban on any journalist from attending state functions.
“Having made the above clarifications; I, therefore, call on the general public, NUJ and others concerned to discountenance the false reports, videos and audio as they are either a figment of the bearers imagination which they brought to bear or a deliberate attempt geared towards smearing the hard-earned good reputation and good media relationship of the governor”, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the two journalists have returned to their duties after going underground in the wake of the threats issued by the governor.
This followed interventions and peace moves by various stakeholders.
Mr. Peter Okutu of the Vanguard and Chijioke Agwu of the Daily Sun newspapers have resumed duty following the “official leniency” granted by the Governor Umahi.
The governor had in a statewide broadcast lifted the ‘life ban’ earlier slammed on the journalists.
The mutual peace deal came following the intervention of the national leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ led by Mr. Chris Isiguso.
It was learnt that three basic issues were presented by the Ebonyi Correspondents’ Chapel of NUJ during her meeting with the national leadership of its union.
These were to expunge a section of the newly enacted COVID-19 Law and other Dangerous Infectious Disease (005) which centred on fake news.
The chapel argued that the law was “draconian and parochial in its content” and did not follow due process such as public hearing before it was accented to by the state governor.
They also added that it was targeted at practicing journalists in the state.
The second was to lift the ‘life ban’ pronounced by the state governor on two of her members and ensure maximum security for others.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ in Ebonyi, Ogodo Jacob, testified that peace has returned between its members and the state government.
He however maintained that the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ in the state would not hesitate to report any further intimidation or threat to any of her member to the public and NUJ national leadership.
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