NAN reporter detained in Aba by construction company workers

The Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Aba Chapel has condemned the detention of the reporter of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Mr. Ijendu Iheaka, by workers of Reticulated Construction Nigeria Limited, in Aba, Abia State.

Iheaka had visited the Leather and Garment Cluster Facility being built for artisans at Umukalika community, Obingwa council area by the state government when he was attacked by workers of the company.

Workers of the company which is the core Investor handling the project accused the journalist of writing stories about the progress of work against the interest of the state government and their firm.

In a statement signed by the Chairman, NUJ, Aba, Mr. Eric Ugbor, the Union  said it is against the spirit of social progress to detain a journalist for writing a report on the progress of work at a construction site, stressing that the company erred by accusing Iheaka of writing false reports.

Ugbor said that the right thing to do by organization that feel misrepresented by a journalist in a democracy was not to threaten or harm him but to report to his medium or the NUJ for investigation and appropriate action.

It also stated that the Managing Director of the company, Mr Emem Koffi who later spoke to the reporter on phone from Abuja while he was being detained was angry that he wrote a story on the progress of work which they said was against their interest.

Ugbor said that the right thing to do by organization that feel misrepresented by a journalist in a democracy was not to threaten or harm him but to report to his medium or the NUJ for investigation and appropriate action.

It also stated that the Managing Director of the company, Mr Emem Koffi who later spoke to the reporter on phone from Abuja while he was being detained was angry that he wrote a story on the progress of work which they said was against their interest.

The Union lamented although the Police in Aba were alerted on Iheaka’s detention of the journalist, it failed to send its personnel to free the journalist.

“How can anybody say that it is the core investor that is stalling work at the site’ as they referred to a statement made by the Abia State Commissioner for Industry, Mr Henry Ikoh in the report by Iheaka. The journalist was doing his job when he was arrested and detained even after identifying himself as a journalist who had come to the site to see things for himself.

“They accused him of taking photographs of the site for the purpose of selling the site and threatened to kill him with machetes if he did not follow them to their makeshift house inside the place. Some hoodlums who joined the irate workers also accused him of working against the interest of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and helping Dr Alex Otti achieve his goals in Abia state. The Union said that the company’s statement that Iheaka was working against Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s interest was unfair not only to the journalist, but also to the spirit of fairness in journalism.

“The company should be aware that anyone who attacks or kills a journalist is committing a crime against humanity, social security and development. It therefore in the best interest of the Abia state government to call these kinds of people who may want to commit evil in the name of the governor to order to stop painting the governor in bad light.”