Skip to main content

Gov. Dave Umahi Arrests Journalist Over Facebook Post

By


Ebonyi State Police have arrested and detained journalist Godfrey Chikwere on the orders of the state governor David Umahi over Facebook posts.

The journalist was arrested by the police during the weekend following a petition by the government accusing him of “hate speech, incisive publication and cyberbullying.”

“I write to inform your esteemed office as follows: That on the 8th day of October, 2021 at about 14:44 hours, one Godfrey Chikwere with phone number 080615707** did publish fake news and incisive post on Facebook profile called Godfrey Chikwere and other media platforms and stated as follows: Nigerian Army is seriously and willingly losing respect.

“That on the same 8th of October, 2021, Godfrey Chikwere in the Facebook profile made a dangerous and disturbing publication and stated as follows: ‘They (politicians) can pay a youth to murder a perceived political enemy but they can’t give such youth money to start a business.’

“That this false, fake and incisive publication is intended to cause fear, cyberbullying, riot crisis and breach of the peace in the state.” A petition signed by Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information, Orji Uchenna Orji to the police commissioner read.

Youths and activists in the state are organising a protest to demand freedom for Chikwere.

They also expressed their anger for the Nigerian Union of Journalists for keeping silence while its member is being persecuted by the state government despite the guarantee for the freedom of speech in the constitution. 

Activist, Benjazy Nweke said, “Don't blame the governor of Ebonyi state for signing the law against fake news, blame your house of assembly members who allow (sic) the said law pass through all the necessary proceedings knowing fully well that it will be used against those who criticize or speak against any wrong governmental decision against the citizens.

“The present day House of Assembly in Ebonyi state are so interested in their personal gain from his Excellency forgetting their constituents who elected them to represent them. The ongoing arrest in Ebonyi state is nothing but a political fight against any perceived political opposition member in the state.

“Those that passed the bill into law should not forget that they will not remain in ruling party forever, tomorrow the same law may land on their skull for speaking against the government in power.

“Godfrey Chikwere is a law-abiding citizen and should not be held captive for expressing his fundamental human right which is freedom of speech except we don't have such law again in Ebonyi state. It is only a military government that will not accept criticism, but in a democratic setting, criticism is one of the instruments of good governance.

"A reasonable government take correction from criticism and not otherwise. #FreeGodfreyChikwere.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EndSARS: Protesters In New York Want SARS Operatives Sacked

By
 Hundreds of young anti-SARS protesters on Sunday stormed the Nigeria House in New York demanding transparency in the disbandment of the police unit back home. The protesters said operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad found wanting should be sacked and not redeployed. Among them was Stephen “Papi” Ojo, the artist, model, and choreographer who stole the show as the ‘blue-guy’ in Beyoncé’s “Already” music video. The protest started shortly after the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, announced the dissolution of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad. Adamu also announced plans for a new arrangement to address anticipated policing gaps following the disbandment, and the constitution of an investigative team to probe the alleged cases of rights violations, among others. But the protesters, who bore placards with different inscriptions including, “We no want audio ban”, said they were not buying it. They argued that previous commitments announced by the force to change...
Post a Comment
Read more

Open grazing ban in South irreversible, Akeredolu replies Malami

By
  The Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has tackled the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Shehu Malami, for faulting the ban placed on open grazing in the Southern part of the country. The Southern Governors had at a meeting in Asaba last week banned open grazing and asked the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to address the nation over the increasing rate of insecurity in the country. However, Malami who appeared as a guest on Channels Television on Wednesday faulted the ban, arguing that the governor had no right to do that. Akeredolu, who is the Chairman of Southern Governors’ Forum, spoke in a statement he personally signed on Thursday, titled, ‘ Our decision is irreversible and will be enforced ’. He asked the AGF to challenge the governor’s position on open grazing in court, adding that Malami’s comments were “ unfortunate and wicked ”. Part of the statement read, “I have just read the press statement credited to the Attorney...
Post a Comment
Read more

Biden Announces Purchase Of 200M Vaccine Doses

By
  President Joe Biden announced a series of measures on Tuesday aimed at ramping up coronavirus vaccine allocation and distribution, including the purchase of 200 million more vaccine doses and increased distribution to states by millions of doses next week. With those additional doses, Biden said there would be enough to fully vaccinate 300 million Americans -- nearly the entire US population -- by the end of summer or early fall. He described efforts to combat Covid-19 as a "wartime undertaking." We now have a national strategy to beat Covid-19. It's comprehensive. It's based on science, not politics. It's based on truth, not denial, and it is detailed," he said. As part of the new efforts announced Tuesday, the US will buy 100 million more doses from Pfizer/BioNTech and 100 million more from Moderna -- the two-dose vaccines that have been granted emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration. Pfizer and Moderna are working to step up p...
Post a Comment
Read more