The management of The Sun Newspaper has condemned the arrest of its correspondent in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State Mr Chijioke Agwu, on the orders of Governor Dave Umahi.
A statement on Saturday in Enugu by the Head of The Sun, South East Bureau, Mr Magnus Eze, described the situation as `unfortunate and a suppression of press freedom’.
Eze alleged that the governor did not want journalists to highlight the failures of his administration in the course of doing their legitimate reportage, saying that the situation had become worrisome.
He said that Agwu was arrested on Saturday while honouring a press invitation at the Government House, Abakaliki.
“The governor does not want the failure of his government reported by the media. He gets offended when communal clash, robbery and killings in the state are reported.
“These things are replete in the state, according to our sources; it is the duty of the media to report them,” he said.
“I was told that their grouse is a feature story our correspondent wrote on the endemic nature of Lassa fever in Ebonyi which centered mainly on a National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) statistics.
“Since the arrest of the reporter, the police have barred access to him,” Eze said.
Eze said that it was wrong to arrest a journalist for doing his job.
“Our correspondent was arrested as if he is a common criminal, while doing his legitimate duty.
“It is unfortunate that a governor can make such an order and a Commissioner of Police will act on it,” he said.
When contacted, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Awosola Awotinde, confirmed arrest of the journalist.
He, however, said that the command had initiated moves to resolve the matter.
Meanwhile, Umahi had, during a statewide broadcast, said that any person who peddled false information concerning COVID-19 in the state would be arrested.
Umahi said: “Any person who peddles false information on this matter will be arrested and prosecuted as I have ordered the arrest of the Sun newspapers Correspondent in the state for publishing false information on Lassa fever ravaging the state.”
