Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Akwa State command, on Friday arrested a newspaper distributor, Mr Chidi Ngadiubia, and detained him at Ikot-AkpanAbia, headquarters, allegedly on the order of the state government.
It was gathered that Ngadiubia was picked up at his distribution point at No 15. Asutan street, which also housed The PUNCH newspaper office.
The policemen were said to be on the trail of the publisher of the Mail newspaper, Mr. Ifreke Nseowo over alleged offensive publications.
According to the report, a female caller had tricked the publisher, who had been on the run, by telling him she had an advert for publication in his paper.
The source added that the caller was asked to drop the advertisement materials with the newspaper distributor for pick up at a later date.
But on arrival at the distribution point, they arrested and dragged Ngadiubia to the police headquarters at Ikot Akpanabia, in Uyo, the state capital. They reportedly asked him to produce the publisher or he would be made to face the law for connivance.
Recall that the local tabloid in the state had reported the plot to arrest the publisher over certain publications related to the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Umo Uno’s alleged certificate forgery scandal.
Meanwhile, the Federated Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists has condemned in strong terms the manner in which journalists were being hounded in the state.
The Chairman of the chapel, Mr. Nsibiet John, in a statement, described the development as “wicked, callous, ungodly, satanic and a fresh attempt to violently violate all known rules of democracy and free press.”
He said the arrest of Ngadiubia in place of Nseowo has also raised fresh concerns as the NUJ in Akwa Ibom State had reiterated its opposition to the victimisation of journalists.
