Journalist Beaten Unconscious & Arrested By Two Ebonyi State Officials

Information recently made available to 247ureports.com reveals that a journalist and a publisher of a local magazine [National Issues] narrowly escaped death in the hands of thugs hired by officials of the Ebonyi State government. The Journalist/Publisher, Igwe Emmanuel who resides at Abakaliki in Ebonyi State was struck by ‘unknown’ gunmen on the late evening [8pm] of Saturday June 2, 2012 while he drove home along Federal Teaching Hospital road in his Mazda 626 salon car with registration number AE19ZLL.

The gunmen did not retrieve money from Igwe Emmanuel but they collected his laptop, camera, voice recorder and documents. The gunmen proceeded to beat Igwe Emmanuel with the butts of their pistols till he lost consciousness. The gunmen left Igwe Emmanuel by the roadside to die. Good Samaritans who saw the body of Igwe Emmanuel lying lifeless at the roadside rescued him. They acted to rush him to the nearby Federal Teaching Hospital where he later regained consciousness. He was discharged from the hospital on Sunday June 3, 2012 – and was told to return the next day [Monday June 4, 2012]....


As Igwe Emmanuel checked out of the hospital, he placed a ‘save our soul’ call to the commissioner of police, Adeole Adeniyi informing of the threat to his life – and of the rusty relationship he enjoys with two officials of the Ebonyi State government. Particularly, he mentioned their names to the Police Commissioner as Celestine Nwali [Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and Chieftaincy Matters] and Celestine Igberi [Chairman Igwo LGA and Chairman ALGON]. The Police Commissioner replied in a text message to Igwe Emmanuel stating “come and see me in my house today between now through 4pm“.

Igwe Emmanuel Igwe, as told, went to the Police Commissioner’s home – a mobile police officer [MOPOL] by the name Chidi Uguru was assigned to the case. On Monday June 4, 2012, following his scheduled appointment with the hospital, as Igwe Emmanuel made his way home, he was forcefully picked up by the police and detained at the State CID Police Headquarters in Abakaliki for questioning – on a petition filed by Celestine Nwali and Celestine Igberi – alleging ‘false publications’ by Igwe Emmanuel on their person. Igwe Emmanuel was taken to a magistrate court after 24hours detention in police cell.

He was charged with making ‘false publications’ and given bail by the magistrate – who requested for a shortee to be a ‘level 16’ civil servant – equivalent to a permanent secretary. Hearing was set for June 27, 2012. The trouble with the two officials of the Ebonyi State government stems from revealing publication on the looting of Ebonyi State’s LGA funds. Igwe Emmanuel was responsible for blowing the whistle on the ongoing between Celestine Nwali and Celestine Igberi. 247ureports.com made efforts to reach Hon Celestine Nwali through his MTN line 0803xxxx783 but did not pick his calls nor did he respond to our text messages.

The police commissioner, Adeole Adeniyi was reached on the mobile phone. He said he was in Abuja when the incidence occurred – so he could not comment.