The Ebonyi State Police Command, acting on the orders of Governor David Umahi, have apprehended a journalist, Godfrey Chikwere over his Facebook post.
It was learnt that Chikwere, a presenter/anchor at Broadcaster, Salf FM, was arrested by the police during the weekend following a petition by the government accusing him of fake news, hate speech, incisive publication and cyberbullying.”
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The petition dated October 8 and signed by Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information, Orji Uchenna Orji to the State Police commissioner, says that Chikwere made a “dangerous and disturbing publication intended to cause fear and breach of peace in the state”
“I write to inform your esteemed office as follows: That on the 8th day of October, 2021 at about 14:44 hours, one Godfrey Chikwere with phone number 080615707** did publish fake news and incisive post in Facebook profile called Godfrey Chikwere and other media platforms and stated as follows: Nigerian Army is seriously and willingly losing respect,” the petition read.
“That on the same 8th of October, 2021, Godfrey Chikwere in the Facebook profile made a dangerous and disturbing publication and stated as follows: ‘They (politicians) can pay a youth to murder a perceived political enemy but they can’t give such youth money to start a business. That this false, fake and incisive publication is intended to cause fear, cyberbullying, riot crisis and breach of the peace in the state.”
Meanwhile, aggrieved youths and activists in the state have taken to social media to demand for the release of the journalist under the hashtag #FreeGodfreyChikwere
