Thugs allegedly working for the
Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Waste Management Agency, Prince Ikim on Monday, 16
September, allegedly assaulted and thereafter stripped a female journalist in
the state, Mary Ekere for taking photographs of events at the popular Ibom
plaza, Uyo, the state capital.
It was gathered that the
journalist who works with ‘The post Newspaper, ‘ a state-based Newspaper was
passing along the plaza where she saw some task force operators seizing some
goods belonging to traders in the plaza and she decided to take some pictures
of the events.
It was further gathered that the
thugs irked by the journalist’s action allegedly beat her to stupor, stripped
her naked and subsequently dragged her into a waiting vehicle.
According to Miss Ekere, “I was
taken to Sanitation Court, off Nkemba Street, unfortunately, the Magistrate was
not around and I was remanded in prison custody”
It was learnt that Miss Ekere was
brought to the court the following day, Tuesday, by the prison guards in their
vehicle where she pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against her before
the court. She was then granted bail of N10,000.
It was also learnt that Prince
Ikim allegedly ordered that she should be sent back to prison even after
meeting the bail conditions. She was then taken back to prison custody and is
currently at the Uyo prisons.
Reacting to the incident, the
father to the accused, Hon. Idongesit Ekere said he was shocked by the
incident, describing it as unfortunate.
His words, “We waited from
morning till afternoon for the Magistrate, who came in the afternoon. When she
was arraigned, she pleaded not guilty to those charges and was granted bail.
They asked me to pay N10,000, which I did and filled the bail form they gave
with my passport.
“The court guy said he was coming
to inspect my house, but later came to tell me that Mary will not be released
today (Tuesday) again as promised that the Magistrate had gone without signing
the bail form. So Mary was taken back to prison custody. I took food to give to
her at the prison, but they denied me access to her. They said I should give
money that they will give her to buy food, which I did. So she is still in
prison.”
Meanwhile Journalists in the
state have condemned in entirety the inhuman treatment against their colleague.
In a release signed by the NUJ chairman, Comrade Amos Etuk, he expressed shock
that Miss Ekere was sent back to prison even when the presiding judge had
granted her bail, and the father met the bail terms.
The NUJ body demanded her
immediate and unconditional release before noon, today, Wednesday.
Similarly, the chairman of the
federated chapel, where the victim belongs to, comrade Inimfon Silas in a press
statement condemned the act, saying that such was an indicator that journalists
in the state are no longer safe to carry out their lawful duties.
He vowed to use legal means to
bring justice to the victim.
Also the female journalists under
the aegis of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Akwa Ibom state
chapter were seen in a peaceful protest, early hours of today marching in their
numbers to the sanitation court to register their grievances.
The Chairman of NAWOJ, Comrade
Uduak Ekong in a telephone interview with our correspondent who wondered why
Miss Ekere would be forced to spend two nights in the prison custody even after
meeting the bail term called for her immediate release as well as an unreserved
apology to the accused.
Comrade Ekong also called for
total reorientation of the law enforcement agents in the state noting that even
if they were authorized by the state government to stop people from trading
around the plaza and along the road, they should carry out such duties with
every sense of decency and decorum.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the
Waste Management Agency said he was not aware that Miss Ekere was still
remanded in prison custody after meeting the bail terms. He promised to ensure
that the accused is released soon.
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