Godfrey Chikwere, the journalist, arrested in Ebonyi State over an alleged fake and incisive Facebook post, has reportedly developed health difficulties while in police custody.
It would be recalled that the police arrested the journalist over the weekend following a petition by the Ebonyi State Government accusing him of publishing an incisive Facebook post, cyberbullying among others.
Chikwere, who is said to be a former aide to Governor Umahi, had made a post on his Facebook account alleging that politicians were behind killings in Ebonyi state.
Chikwere was to be arraigned in court on Monday, October 11 but had reportedly slumped at the Command’s Headquarters, the Punch reports.
The journalist is reportedly receiving treatment at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki.
Confirming the development to journalists, his wife Onyinyechi said, “My husband started falling sick, on Sunday night, when he was in the Police station. So, it became worst and the Police clinic couldn’t handle it. He has been at AE-FETHA, since morning.”
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation in the state, Uchenna Orji, said the suspect was neither a journalist known by the State Government or the Nigeria Union of Journalists.
According to him, “My attention has been drawn to the publications in the social media that the Office of the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, in Ebonyi State, caused the arrest and detention of a journalist in the state,
“I want to use this medium to categorically state that the person being referred to as Godfrey Chikwere is not a journalist known in Ebonyi State. I had to confirm from the NUJ and they clearly stated that he is not a journalist.
“But the truth of the matter is that the Ministry of Information and Orientation in Ebonyi State, in keeping with its mandate of ensuring the orientation of the people against all forms of bad habits, and in keeping with its duty of sensitising the people and ensuring the implementation of Ebonyi State law on Cybercrime Prohibition (012) 2021, we had to swing into action by ensuring that we track all persons spreading fake news
“Incidentally, this Godfrey Chikwere happens to be one of those found to be in the habit of posting fake information and also spreading hate-speech.” he added.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Defenders (HURIDE) have affirmed that they are closely monitoring the situation surrounding Chikwere’s arrest to ensure he gets adequate justice.
The HURIDE Chairman, Ebonyi State chapter, Sampson Oko Nweke, after a visit to the hospitalised journalist, said, “I just left Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki to see Godfrey Chikwere,(a journalist) who was rushed in this morning following health complications he developed in police detention,
“I went in the company of Iyo Etas, Abraham Chinenye Ezealiegbe and Nelson Igboke and we can assure you that he’s getting stronger.
“Godfrey was arrested yesterday morning by the police over a Facebook post which some agents of Ebonyi State government saw as distasteful.
“HURIDE and partners are closely monitoring his condition and the situation surrounding his arrest to ensure he gets adequate justice.
