Senator Godswill Akpabio
WARRI/Nigeria: The recent arrest and detention of four journalists in Delta State by the Nigerian Police had been linked to the Supervising Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for an exposure of his office to the series of scandal that had rocked the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Interim Management Committee.
In a statement made available to www.ndokwareporters.com, The Publisher/Editor-in-chief, Daily Watch, Mr. Cletus Opukeme has raised alarm over clandestine move by the Minister, in connivance with men of the Nigerian Police Force and Inspector General Police (IGP) to abduct over his Daily Watch exposure of the monumental fraud in NDDC running to billions of naira that had attracted the Senate and National House or Representative to set up various committees to probe the Interim Management Committee.
It was learnt that the IGP boys from Abuja traced him from Abuja to the Nigerian Union of journalist office in Warri, and in a commando like manner abducted Mr. Matthew Omonigho a Journalist, who later called that he was dumped at Area Commander Office Warri.
The Union leadership sent a delegation to the police station to know why he was arrested without reason and bundled away like a common criminal and manhandled.
The police instead of listening to the NUJ delegation confiscated all their phones and detained them, also that the Police told them that they were special squad sent from Abuja to arrest Mr. Cletus Opukeme, the Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief of Daily Watch.
In the words of the daily watch Publisher/ Editor-in-chief who narrated his ordeal to some group of Journalists: “I want to categorically warn that the so called crooked IGP paid boys and other security operatives should stay away from Daily Watch publications”.
“That if Senator Godswill Akpabio or any other person feel aggrieved by our published stories, they know the right option which is to seek for redress as the court is there for them to sue Daily Watch publisher, and allow the judiciary to determine our publication whether it is libelous and defamatory”.
“It is not the place of DSS, the IGP boys or any other security operatives to be used to intimidate Daily Watch over our genuine investigations which first exposed large scale of financial misappropriation in NDDC”.
“Senator Akpabio has turned NDDC to a cash cow looting the common wealth of the people of Niger Delta and intimidation or arrest by IGP Boys /DSS cannot frighten us from doing what we know how to do best by informing the public the right information”.
“The invasion of Warri NUJ office by the crooked IGP TEAM to arrest a journalist is an embarrassment to democracy in the country as journalists have freedom of expression enshrined on the nation’s constitution”.
“If Akpabio is aggrieved by our publications for exposing his massive looting, he should go to court and stop intimidating me with the police and ex-militants to gag the press from doing our Constitutional duties”.
“The said IG squad called one of the arrested journalists to direct them to Cletus Opukeme’s residence who identified himself as Reuben with one Reuben with mobile phone number:08116912068 quoting the reporter ”One Mr. Reuben just called now requesting to know if I have been able to see Cletus”.
“Itold him that he only called me this morning wherein I asked him to be at the Area Command with me in solidarity and he refused. Again, he asked if I know any link with which they could get him and I said No. He later cut the call”.
“Therefore, I am calling the Inspector General of Police Mr. Mohammed Adamu to hold Niger Delta minister Godswill Akpabio and the members of the NDDC Interim management committee responsible, if anything happens to my life and my members of my immediate family”.
“The same similar threats were being made by unidentified members over campaign against Akpabio’s massive looting by Izanzan which after a protest was made against Akpabio and his NDDC IMC within a week assassins shot dead the vibrand and resourceful spokesman Comrade Famous Believe on the 18th May 2020 which police is investigating the murderers till now”.
The Full Press Release
27/05/2020: Press release: THREAT TO MY LIFE
My attention has been drawn to a clandestine move by Niger Delta Minister Godwill Akpabio who is the supervising minister of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) using crooked Inspector General Police (IGP) Boys to abduct me and do whatever thing they were instructed to do to me over Daily Watch exposes of the monumental fraud in NDDC running to billions of naira that had attracted the Senate and National House or Reprsentative to set up various committees to probe the commission Interim Management Committee.
Yesterday, the IGP boys from Abuja traced me from Abuja to the office of the Nigerian Union of journalists office in Warri,Delta State and in a commando like manner abducted Mr. Matthew Omonigho away who later called that he was dumped at Area Commander office Warri.
The Union leadership sent a delegation to the police station to know why he was arrested without reason for his arrest and bundled away like a common criminal and manhandled.
The police instead of listening to the NUJ delegation confisticated all their phones and detained them also
The Police told them that they were special squad sent from Abuja to arrest Mr. Cletus Opukeme, the Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief of Daily Watch.
I want to categorically warn that the so called crooked IGP paid boys and other security operatives should stay away from Daily Watch publications. That if Senator Godswill Akpabio or any other person feel aggrieved by our published storis. They know the right option which is to seek for redress as the court is there for them to sue Daily Watch publisher and allow the judiciary to determine our publication whether it is libelous and defamatiory. It is not the place of DSS, the IGP boys or any other security operatives to be used to intimidate Daily Watch over our genuine investigations which first exposed large scale of financial missapproriation in NDDC. Senator Akpabio has turned NDDC to a cash cow looting the common wealth of the people of Niger Delta and intimidation or arrest by IGP Boys /DSS cannot frighten us from doing what we know how to do best by informing the public the right information.
The invasion of Warri NUJ office by the crooked IGP TEAM to arrest a journalist is an embarrassment to democracy in the country as journalists have freedom of expression enshrined on the nation’s constitution.
If Akpabio is aggrieved by our publications for exposing his massive looting, he should go to court and stop intimidating me with the police and ex-militants to gag the press from doing our Constitutional duties.
The said IG squad called one of the arrested journalists to direct them to Cletus Opukeme’s residence who identified himself as Reuben with the following phone one Reuben with mobile phone number:08116912068 quoting the reporter ”One Mr. Reuben just called now requesting to know if I have been able to see Cletus. I told him that he only called me this morning wherein I asked him to be at the Area Command with me in solidarity and he refused. Again, he asked if I know any link with which they could get him and I said No. He later cut the call”
Therefore, I am calling the Inspector General of Police Mr. Mohammed Adamu to hold Niger Delta minister Godswill Akpabio and the members of the NDDC Interim management committee responsible, if anything happens to my life and my members of my immediate family.
The same similar threats were being made by unidentified members over campaign against Akpabio’s massive looting by Izanzan which after a protest was made against Akpabio and his NDDC IMC within a week assassins shot dead the vibrant and resourceful spokesman Comrade Famous Believe on the 18th May 2020 which police is investigating the murderers till now.
Signed
Cletus Opukeme
Publisher/ Editor-in- Chief
Daily Watch
