The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has warned the Ebonyi State Governor, Engr Dave Umahi against intimidating and harassing journalists in the state.
Umahi had on Wednesday banned for life two journalists, Messrs Chijioke Agwu and Peter Okutu of The Sun and Vanguard Newspapers respectively from the government house and other government facilities.
The governor said his action was based on their reports, which had caused fear in the state.
But IPOB, speaking against the action, described it as one of the governors’ ways of showing subservience to the All Progressives Congress, APC-led federal government.
Part of a release signed by the media and publicity secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful said that the anger of the governor was that journalists were consistently reporting killings by Fulani herdsmen in the state, which he sought to cover up.
“Gov. Dave Umahi has not stopped harassing and giving threatening messages to journalists in Ebonyi State over their insistence in exposing through their factual reports, the ongoing genocides and unprovoked attacks against hapless Ebonyi people by Fulani herdsmen, terrorists, and security operatives.
“Governor Dave Umahi and his foot soldiers in Abakaliki Government House have never hidden their sympathy for the Fulani cabals behind the mass atrocities in Biafra land including Ebonyi State just because of his selfish political ambition.
“It’s no longer in doubt that Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi and his co-conspirators have been strategically supporting the humiliation and killing of Ebonyi people since he took over office in 2015. Under governor Dave Umahi’s watch in Ebonyi State, journalists who believe in reporting truths are no longer safe,” IPOB said.
IPOB lamented that in the past few days, “Governor Dave Umahi has ordered the arrest of Sun Newspaper’s Correspondent in Ebonyi State, Mr. Chijioke Agwu. Not done yet, just yesterday (Tuesday) 21st of April 2020, an LGA Chairman in Ebonyi state who was acting on the instructions of Dave Umahi ordered the arrest of Mr. Peter Okutu Vanguard Newspaper’s Correspondent in the state.
“These journalists committed no crime other than exposing the atrocities of terrorists and security agents against innocent Biafrans in Ebonyi State.”
