Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of pointblanknews.com, Mr. Jackson Ude has made allegations of threats to his life and blackmail by agents of the Abia State Governor, Mr. T. A Orji and his son Chinedu Orji.
“I have received phone calls from Chinedu Orji, son of the Governor, threatening to kill me because we have been publishing articles considered unfavorable to the state, the Governor and himself. He started making the threat on August 26, 2011 and it has continued.”
Pointblanknews.com had published the report that Governor T.A Orji’s son was beaten up by Soldiers in Umuahia. The website also published an emerging frosty relationship between the Governor and his son’s excesses, including a special report that detailed the infrastructural decay in the state.
Ude, in a press release said “they said we have consistently published negative stories against the state Governor and his administration and his son and that as an indigene from Abia State, I should instead use my website to support them.”
“My Correspondent on ground also told me that agents of the state Government have been sniffing around for the sources of all our stories from Abia State,” Ude said.
The journalist alleged that agents of the state started blackmail tactics last week as a prelude to his planned assassination when they caused to be circulated a purported report through ninejaconet@live.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it that he has been arrested and detained at the State Security Service headquarters in Abuja over a $3.5 Million gift from Akwa Ibom State.
“They started circulating a fictitious e-mails claiming last week, I was in Akwa Ibom, where I collected $3.5 Million from the State Governor Godswill Akpabio and that I am currently at the SSS headquarters in Abuja waiting to be arraigned in court,” Ude said.
“They claimed that I work for Orji Uzor Kalu, the former Governor of Abia State, and that he paid me heavily to attack the present Government of Abia State. They also claimed in the report that pointblanknews.com is an arm of The Sun newspapers, which they said see nothing good in the current administration of Abia State.” Ude added
Ude disclosed “for the knowledge and information of the shortsighted leadership in Abia State, I am currently a graduate student at the Clayton Riddel School of Political Management, Carleton University, Ottawa. I last visited Nigeria in August 2011 and returned via New York to resume schooling in Canada first week of September.”
He added, “I have never seen $3.5 Million in my life and I have never collected, received, asked, offered or approached to receive such huge amount of money by anyone, including Akwa Ibom State.”
“The desperation of the Abia Government to paint and dress me in a bad light clearly shows the level and competence of the men and women that millions of Abia citizens depend upon for leadership.
“The media must rise up against these elements in our political system. The media must be allowed to do its job and make politicians accountable. My freedom of thought, conscience, expression, citizenship and association are entrenched and guaranteed by the constitution and cannot be mortgaged.”
“I shall never waive them or allow anyone-no matter how highly placed and powerful-to violate them without a good fight,” Jackson concluded.
Editor-in-Chief of sharpedgenews.com, a sister-publication of Jackson Ude’s pointblanknews.com, also condemned the tyrannical tactics associated with the Abia State governor and his son. Said Mr. Oladimeji Abitogun from Nigeria yesterday, “journalists must be able to practice their profession without fear of harassment from highly placed persons as the governor and his son. Free speech is a well-protected part of our statutes, and the governor should be seen to ensuring this protections rather than violating them, whether personally or through his agents or family.”
Below is the report agents of the State Government have been circulating through inejaconet@live.com:This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
“There are strong indications that one Jackson ude a Nigerian Journalist based in the United States of America is being quizzed by the SSS at their Headquarters in Abuja . Mr Ude who our source said is currently being detained was allegedly caught in Nigeria few days ago with 3.5 million dollars as he was leaving Akwa Ibom State. It was learnt that Mr Ude who was once placed on the SSS watch list for seditious article by the Obasanjo administration has refused to disclose the source of the money.
Our source hinted that Mr. Ude who runs an internet news site Pointblanknews, which he uses to blackmail top government officials for money will be charged to court very soon after thorough investigations. Story has it that one of his sponsors a former governor from the South East is making frantic efforts to get him releasd. How far this former governor will go remains to be seen.
It will be recalled that Ude during the reign of Orji Uzor Kalu collected money from Mrs Eunice kalu to help showcase his sons presidential project which he did not execute. As a way to pay back the money Mr Jackson Ude of Pointblanknews entered into a gentleman agreement to rubbish Abia State Governor Chief TA Orji. To this end Pointblanknews is an arm of SUN Newspapers which sees nothing good in Abia Government.”