by crossriverwatch admin
A crossriverwatch freelance reporter Mr. Emmanuel Unah was last night arrested by operatives from the Cross River State CID Headquaters, Diamond Hill, Calabar on the orders of the state Deputy Governor, Barrister Efiok Cobham.
Crossriverwatch gathered that the arrest was in connection with a story captioned: “Cross River Deputy Governor Commands Wife to Kneel Down And Apologize to His Aide” published by crossriverwatch May 31, 2013.
Eye witnesses reports say “fully armed operatives from Diamond Hill stormed Mr. Unah’s residence in the dead of the night to demand that he follows them to their office. His kids were visibly troubled by the presence of the police and their arms but Emmanuel did not resist. He accompanied in the vehicle they came with.”
Information from a police source say: “since that report was published, the deputy governor has been restless. You know the report went viral online and it caused him a lot of embarrassment and he had to order the arrest of anyone connected to the media house crossriverwatch”.
“Even those of us in the police only know that the publisher stays in Lagos and thought you people are doing guerrilla journalism without exposing your reporters. But the division in the NUJ in Calabar which resulted from the disputed elections has left a deep crack amongst the journalists and it was not difficult to get some of your colleagues who exposed Emmanuel as one your reporters. We are not sure who did the report, but the police hope they can make him reveal his source of information.”
According to Mr. Unah’s friend, Roland Edet who has visited him in detention, “Up till this morning, the police had no tangible reason for arresting Mr. Emmanuel other than asking him about his relationship with crossriverwatch. I would want to think that if a registered media organization publishes what you don’t agree with, you go to court. No one has the right to arrest a journalist for doing his job. The court’s are there to settle this kinds of disputes, no one should because of his position think he can intimidate a press man from doing his job. It will only make his matter worse”.
Mr. Efiok Cobham was reported to have ordered his wife, Glory to kneel down and apologize to his protocol officer, Asikpo Okon for allegedly claiming that the protocol officer was in the habit of arranging girls for his boss.
A close family source had informed crossriverwatch that Efiok’s wife and Asikpo have been having running battles since 2011 when, the erstwhile Cross River Broadcasting Cooperation, CRBC correspondent who was covering the government house was said to be having a relationship with the deputy governor.”Oga was very angry with his wife when she confronted Asikpo over the relationship between him and the CRBC girl that is covering his office”.
Our source said Asikpo who is a relative of Efiok had immediately gone to tell his boss his wife’s claim that he was now arranging the CRBC girl for him and the deputy governor angrily called on the wife and commanded her to kneel down and apologize to Asikpo or kiss the marriage goodbye “Madam felt bitterly humiliated but she had no choice than to kneel down and apologize instead of ending the marriage because she saw the anger and seriousness on oga’s face”.
Crossriverwatch also has it on good authority that, Glory has been loudly complaining to her friends and relatives that she and her husband have not been having the best of times.
According to sources close to her, the woman has for some time been suspecting the husband of betraying their marital vows by frolicking with ladies and some of his female media aides during his frequent travels and she claims “That Asikpo who knew the difficult times she and Efiok were going through before 1999 and yet she stuck with the man could stab her in the back by arranging ladies for her husband”.
follow us on twitter @crossriverwatch
Leave feedback about this