Two journalists based in Delta State have been arraigned at a magistrate court sitting in Asaba over defamation of character.
The two journalists, Joe Ogbodu, Managing Editor of BIGPEN Online, and Prince Amour Udemude, an investigative Journalist, on Wednesday took a new twist with Udemude informing the court how he was forced by a police prosecutor, Theresa Okpor, to write a statement dictated by her.
The journalists were arrested in October 2019 by the police following a petition by one Sam Ogrih, alleging defamation and were arraigned for misdemeanour to wit defamatory at the Magistrate court in Asaba, the state capital.
Udemude and Ogbodu had in October 2019 reported a bloody crisis by some youths who go by the codename “freedom fighters” at Uzere community, Isoko South Local Government Area of the state over N20 million largesse from the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company.
In his defence on Wednesday, during the continuation of hearing in suit No CMA/425c/2019, between the commissioner of police vs Prince Amour Udemude and Joe Ogbodu.
The defence counsel, Mr Chuks Ebu, said his client’s story was based on what the fleeing Uzere community indigenes told him concerning the bloody crisis in the community.
After the defence, the Presiding Magistrate, Mrs B.N. Anumadu, called on the plaintiff (Ogrih’s) counsel, M.A. Omakor, for cross-examination of the defendant. But the plaintiff’s counsel said time may not permit him and the magistrate adjourned the case till November 23, 2022 for cross-examination.
Contact: theeditor[at]punchng.com
