At International Press Center (CPI) in Nigeria has expressed concern over the threat in life from a PREMIUM TIMES reporter, Imukudo Savior, by the man who oversees the poorly executed federal project in the Akwa Ibom State.
The IPC in a statement issued on Saturday by its Press Freedom Officer, Melody Lawal, called on the Nigerian government and security agencies to ensure the safety of the journalists.
PREMIUM TIMES reports how a man, Andrew Okure, who oversees the rehabilitation of a local market stall, threatened Mr. Imukudo for doing a story about a shoddy project.
Some stalls have cracks in the walls and holes in the roof. The cement floor was damaged in some places.
On the roof most of the stalls shook with the light wind and looked as if they could easily be thrown away.
The concrete pillars of most of the stalls seem inadequate. In addition, the use of Bamboo sticks as improvised pillars in some stalls has raised security concerns among residents.
At rehabilitation, awarded by Nigerian Building and Roads Research Institute (NBRRI) for Tymme Energy Integrated Resources Limitedhas made some residents in the community against the senator from Akwa Ibom, Christopher Ekpenyong who facilitated the project.
Residents said the senator should ensure that the contractor does a quality job.
Tymme Energy Integrated Resources Limited, according to data obtained online, was incorporated on February 16, 2016 with 18, Aiyewa Street, Kabba, Kogi State, north-central Nigeria, as its registered address.
Mr. Okure, who claimed to be an engineer, initially declined to comment when contacted by a reporter, Mr. Imukudo.
He then called Mr. Imukudo on Wednesday, apparently after reading the published story.
Mr Okure said the community residents who commented on the project were “members of the opposition party”.
When Mr. Imukudo asked him on Thursday at around 10:57 for an official comment on the poor project, Mr. Okure told reporters: “I will follow you. Be careful, be careful.”
While Mr. Okure was dishing out threats, a male voice in the background could also be heard issuing additional threats to the reporter.
“Look at you, look at six feet. Don’t worry. Alhamdulillah, now I know your name. Someone told you to die and you followed them,” a voice in the background.
PREMIUM TIMES south-south and south-east bureau chief, Cletus Ukpong, said the newspaper will report the matter to the police in Uyo on Monday.
‘The time has come to end attacks on journalists’
The IPC said it is time to stop attacks on journalists and other media professionals in Nigeria.
It instructs anyone who may have been aggrieved by media reports to seek redress through legal channels instead of trying for extra-legal self-help.
“The IPC, therefore, appeals to other national, regional and international media freedom groups, freedom of expression organizations and human rights bodies to join in the clamor for the safety of the Imukudo Savior,” the statement said.
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