_- Urge Tinubu, Speaker, Nwifuru, IGP to call Federal lawmaker to order_
A coalition of Civil Society Groups in Ebonyi State has condemned what it termed an increasing spate of harassments on journalists and social critics in the state by politicians and called on Present Ahmed Tinubu and Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun to immediately intervene to forestall total lawlessness.
A tik-toker, 22-year-old boy, Chisom Achor had been accused of publishing a defamatory contents against the member representing Ikwo/Ezza South federal constituency in the state, Hon Chinedu Ogah, accusing of murder, kidnapping, land grabbing, oppression of members of his community and other allegations.
He was consequently arrested by the police, arraigned and remanded at Enugu correctional facility over the said allegations.
Also, another social media influencer in the State, Friday Alefia is suffering a similar fate over the same offence. Mr. Alefia, a publisher who was reportedly arrested in Lagos and taken to Abuja where a Magistrate Court also ordered his remand in the Kuje prisons till a later date in January 2026 had been held in Police custody since September 27th, 2025.
A journalist in the state, Godwin Aliuna was recently attacked by vigilante members inside old government house, Abakaliki while covering event following a disagreement between the journalist and Commissioner for Border Peace, Professor Awo Nwobashi.
The groups said the harassments and intimidations of social media critics and journalists in the state was becoming worrisome and unacceptable.
They stated this in Abakaliki, the state capital at a press briefing at the weekend.
The group was led by the Human Rights Volunteer Corps (HRVC), Human Rights Action Group (HRAG), Committee for the Defense of Human rights (CDHR) and Good Living Initiative (GLI) in Ebonyi.
The leaders of the Coalition Groups include: Prof Joseph Agbo, HRVC; Mr Charles Otu, HRAG; Mr Lawrence Omini, CDHR; Daniel Ibiam, GLI.
“We organise this press conference today, to register our concern and dismay over the rapid closing of the civic space in Ebonyi by the political class and actors and the uncommon silence of both government and individuals.
“Whereas, the Civil Society Groups are not in support of any form of defamation of anybody’s character, needless the political class and elites, we wish to seek the intervention of the President and IGP.
“We also seek the attention of other peace-loving people of Ebonyi to arise with one voice and demand a probe into the allegations against an Ebonyi lawmaker, Mr Chinedu Ogah and his critics,” the group stated.
The Coalition Group called on IGP and other relevant authorities to intervene and investigate the matter.
“We have watched with disconcerting reflections how in a space of less than three months or so, some journalists, writers and social media critics have been arrested and detained.
“Obviously, we do not in any way support any acts of cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking or any act of abuse or misuse of the media- be it mainstream or social,” they added.
According to the petition, a copy of which was availed journalists, “The case of a 22 year old Chisom Achor who was accused of making severe allegations against the lawmaker representing Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Comrade Chinedu Ogah, OON is even more pathetic!
It said, since the young Tik-Toker was nabbed by the police and detained for several days in an Enugu Police Station, “we learnt about the fact that the police were allegedly instructed that any family member or friend who brings food for him should be nabbed and detained alongside him.
“As human rights leaders who understand that there is no place for such a conspicuously oppressive stance in our laws, we had all thought it was a mere joke until one 28 year old Chinonso Imeba was apprehended and thrown into detention by the police.
He was consequently charged with the same charges preferred against Chisom Achor. His only crime was that he took food to his brother, Chisom who was in police custody. This sounds incredible but shows how deeply compromised our security agencies have become and how much both the police as our law enforcers and the judiciary as the interpreters of our laws are in bed with the oppressive political class”, the stated.
The groups said there have been serious allegations against Rt. Hon. Comrade Chinedu Ogah, OON, Member Representing Ezza South and Ikwo Federal constituency at the National Assembly alleging that he has severally unleashed terror upon the residents of his Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
“Too many individuals and groups have come up with petitions some of which we are aware before the security agencies alleging that he has armed himself with guns and raised armed gangs within Amagu Ikwo Community”, they alleged.
They further accused the lawmaker of running a militia and using the same gangs to allegedly terrorize his community.
“These armed gangs are allegedly used for killings, kidnapping, land-grabbing, financial extortion, brutalizing, and arousing community crisis.
The group claimed that several community sources alleged that he uses the same armed gangs to launch lethal attacks against anybody, be it politician whom he perceives as political threats and / or vulnerable people who disagree or oppose his alleged oppressive atrocities against people of Ikwo local government area.
They listed the victims of such alleged attacks to include; the Speaker of the State’s House of Assembly who is from the area, a former Council Chairman and other stakeholders from Ikwo LGA.
“The calamities allegedly brought upon Ikwo people by these gangs made every resident of Ikwo local government area, especially those living in Amagu Ikwo, Inyimagu, Igbudu, Okpuitumo, Echara, Eka-Awoke, Ekpelu, Ekpaomaka and Alike Ikwo to live in bondage of fear and anxiety”, they had alleged.
The groups said his critics have severally accused him of petitioning his critics and relatives, falsely labelling them as IPOB or ESN members.
Hon. Ogah who could not be reached directly as at Press time had however reacted through his Media Centre, expressing concern over the incidents of cyberbullying, fabrication of propaganda, or hiring of online attackers against him and other political office holders in the state.
“I wish to draw the attention of the public to the disturbing wave of sponsored social-media attacks targeted at my person.
“While we respect everyone’s right to pursue political ambition, we firmly maintain that such ambition must be pursued honourably.
“Leadership cannot be built on cyberbullying, fabricated propaganda, or the hiring of online attackers. Responsible politics requires selling ideas, not sponsoring falsehood.
“For now, we continue to observe the situation closely, patiently, and with full confidence in the due process already underway.
“The long arm of the law is in motion, and sooner or later, the full network behind this orchestrated defamation campaign will be exposed.
“When that time comes, those who engineered and financed it will have no choice but to face the consequences of their actions,” he stated.
