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A Miraculous Escape
Memories of the ignoble Otokoto saga and the menace of abduction come flooding back as a journalist escapes from abductors' snarl in Owerri, the Imo State capital
Rita
Ibemere-Okoroafo: Accused of attempted abduction
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By Eugenia Okpara, Owerri
ANY Nigerians had thought that with the abrogation of the infamous Decree 4 of 1984 introduced by the Buhari/Idiagbon regime,coupled with the dawn of democracy in the country the Fourth Estate of the realm and watchdogs of the society, journalists would breathe a sigh of relief from personal assault and harm.
But regrettably the dawn of democracy has rather sought to heighten the plight of the watchdogs as infamous activities of security agents of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha of abducting people in the wee hours of the night has resurfaced.
Politicians not satisfied with bruising media practitioners with security agents especially during
elections, have now resorted to using thugs to abduct – and if possible – eliminate any journalist who as much as dares to write about the excesses of those in power.
This, remarkably, was the lot of the Editor of the now rested local newspaper, National Times, Chinyere Iwuoha, early 2005 when she was severally beaten up by thugs allegedly hired by a former member of the House of Representatives, Uche Nwole, for writing an article which he perceived as
offensive.
Indeed, it took the intervention of colleagues and most importantly the refusal of the police to be used to carry out such dastardly act to save the lady. A policeman, who was lured to Rotibi Street, the Fleet Street in Owerri, the Imo State capital, purportedly to effect arrest of the lady, upon realising that the man had other intentions, shielded the lady from thugs that appeared from nowhere to force her into a Jeep belonging to the
former lawmaker. Ironically, the hapless policeman got the beating of his life in the hands of the thugs.
In Imo State, the citizenry had also thought that the alleged crushing of kidnappers who specialise in
abducting children of wealthy people for ransome by the Police have heralded the end of abduction in the state and may have jubilated too soon as the anti-social behaviour has rather become the latest weapon in the armoury of politicians.
Penultimate Friday, July 21, 2006, the use of Policemen and/or thugs by politicians who feel aggrieved, to abduct or beat up journalists resurfaced in Owerri, when the Editor of a local
tabloid, Announcer Express, Henry Ekpe, was nearly abducted by people allegedly on the instructions of a local government chairman.
Narrating his ordeal to The Source, Ekpe said that he was lured to Dreamland Hotel, Owerri, belonging to the Chairman of Isiala Mbano local government, Simeon Iwunze, under the pretence that the local government boss wants him to interview his brother, a House of Assembly aspirant.
His words: “Some people called me severally while I was at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre for a press briefing, that they would want me or any of my reporters to interview their brother who wants to contest for a House of Assembly seat. I asked them where we would meet, and they said Owerri Hotel plaza. I told them I was busy and that there was no reporter around. They called me another day and said that the venue is now Dreamland hotel and that the interviewee is from Isiala Mbano local government area, a brother to the owner of the hotel,
High Chief Simeon Iwunze, that the man is even there”.
Ekpe said that it was at this juncture that he accepted to interview the aspirant and even described the dress I was wearing for easy identification upon their request since Iwunze is press-friendly. But regrettably, when he got to the venue it turned out to be a ploy to lure him out of the prying eyes of his colleagues.
“When I got there, I dialed the number that they used to call me, since they were no longer in the Bar as they earlier said. As I was approaching the place they said they were, I noticed a lot of people watching and a tall young man who is dark in complexion, wearing mufti just emerge and asked if I was Henry Ekpe, I said I am and he flashed an old identity, which read “police” and told me that I was under arrest,” Ekpe said.
The embattled Editor said that the young man told him that he was instructed by the local government
Chairman of Onuimo, Rita Ibemere-Okoroafor to bring him to Okigwe Divisional Office of the council.
Continuing, Ekpe disclosed that when he sought to know his offence, the man told him that he wrote something unpalatable about the Onumio local Government Chairman, Rita
Ibemere-Okoroafor in the Announcer Express, which she does not like and directed that he be brought to Okigwe dead or alive.
Ekpe: “When I asked the man who flashed an old police identity card what my offence was, he asked if I know one Rita Ibemere-Okoroafor, the Chairman of Onuimo local government council, which I affirmed positively. He then explained that she wants to see me in Okigwe, and
that we are going straight to Okigwe from here. I said okay and let us go since she is my friend and provided it is Ibemere. But what is the problem, why does she want to see me, I asked? He said he does not know but that he saw her reading an article in our paper, something we wrote against her. I said well, I am not afraid since I did not commit murder, let’s go”.
The Editor stated that he did not realise that it was more than an arrest by a policeman until he was taken to a black tainted Peugeot 504 saloon car with the plate number covered, whereupon he was ordered to enter with two guys standing by to force him inside the vehicle if he refused. He added that he pleaded with them to allow him drive in his car since he cannot abandon it at the Hotel.
”Two other guys with a driver in a tainted black 504 Peugeot car, with the plate number covered emerged to ensure that I was forced into the vehicle if I resisted the order to enter. But he (the alleged policeman) directed them to enter the car, while he joined in my own car when I pleaded that I cannot leave the car at the Hotel. I asked who he was
and demanded to see a warrant of arrest but he said that when we got to the place I would be told but that he did not have a warrant. I said, fine, but in my mind I knew I was not going to follow them. So on the way, I told him that I needed to tell my boss where I was going to and he said that I should phone him; I insisted and turned towards my office, packed and asked him to come up and talk to my boss”, Ekpe disclosed.
He revealed further that immediately he entered the office he called his boss and some journalists to intimate them of the situation, stressing that it was those telephone calls that changed the tide and saved him from abduction and eventual death in the hands of the thugs.”
“Immediately I got into my office, I told him the policeman that I was not going anywhere with him, insisting that if the police wants me, they should invite me or come to my office to arrest me. So, it was then that the people [thugs] started making calls frantically, while insisting that I must follow them. I called my boss and he said I should not go anywhere until he comes. I put a call across to The Sun Correspondent, the Chairman of the Correspondents Chapel and other Journalists”, Ekpe stated.
“At this point we realised that if they got the reinforcement which we suspected was the purpose of the frantic telephone calls, they would definite overpower us. So the Daily Independent Correspondent telephoned the Police Public Relations Office [PPRO], Isah Bala Mohammed, a Deputy Superintendent of Police and briefed him on the situation. The police spokesman then directed that the phone be handed over to the man to identified himself and the guy told him that he is a policeman attached to LG chairman”.
According to the embattled Editor, the “policeman” agreed with the PPRO that all of us should go to the State Command but surprisingly, immediately it was agreed that everybody should go to the State Command, the other people in the 504 car melted away, leaving only the two policemen, who now drove in the tainted car. “However, when we got to the command, we were surprised that the policemen we had thought that were following us were nowhere in sight. In fact, they did not come to
the police command. But when we got there, a man came out and asked if I was Henry and I said yes and he took me to Special Anti-robbery Squad [SAS] department, where I was then given an official invitation letter which The Sun Correspondent signed for,” Ekpe narrated.
On how he felt about the incident particularly as he was lured into it all, Ekpe said, “I felt so bad because the situation is becoming so terrible for journalists to be singled out. I am also using this opportunity to warn my colleagues to be very careful. If anybody wants to be interviewed, the person should come to the NUJ Press centre, or your office. For these people to use the name of a local government chairman to draw me out is a very bad ploy, so we have to be very careful”.
However, the Imo State Police Command has confirmed that the supposed policemen were not from the Command as the policemen that were detailed to send the letter of invitation to Announcer Express were still at the Command when the ugly incident happened.
Meanwhile, Ekpe has petitioned the State Governor, Chief Achike Udenwa, the Commissioner of Police, Imo State, John Moronike, narrating his ordeal and pleading with the Police to conduct a thorough investigation in the attempted abduction, as well as to provide adequate security for him and members of his family.
In the petition which was copied to the President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Imo State Senators, Imo State House of Assembly, Inspector General of Police, Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 9 Umuahia, the State Security Service, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Guild
of Editors, Council of Ndieze, Ngor Okpala local government council, Dreamland Hotel, Owerri among
others, he stated that Rita Ibemere-Okoroafor should be held responsible if anything untowards happens to him. The petition read in part: “Meanwhile, I have been living in fear, abandoned my work, home and family for fear of being killed. Ibemere-Okoroafor has gone ahead to boast that she has finished with me as she will rope me into armed robbery allegations, so that I will be executed. I want to state here that my life is in danger, and that of my family. I plead that urgent action be taken to spare my life. I want a guarantee from Ibemere-Okoroafor that nothing will happen to my young family and I. Ibemere-Okoroafor has boasted that she has connection in Aso Rock and will kill me and nothing will happen”.
Ekpe restated that as a journalist, he does not write stories to malign or frame up anybody but rather base his reports on investigated facts and as such any individual who feels aggrieved should toe the part of the law by seeking redress instead of resorting to kidnap, killing or linking him with dubious allegations.
He noted: “We are in a democratic setting and nobody is above the law. Therefore, I want to state here that should anything happen to me or my family, Rita Ibemere-Okoroafor should be held responsible”. |
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