Following the arrest of Emenike Iroegbu, a blogger, by suspected men of the Department of State Service, DSS, an official of the state has come forward to state the reason behind the blogger’s arrest.
Recall that news broke of Iroegbu’s arrest late on Tuesday after the Abia Facts Newspaper publisher was arrested in front of his family by men suspected to be from the SSS Uyo field office.
Iroegbu’s wife, Ekaette, following the arrest of her husband had reported the case to a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong who publicised it.
Mr Effiong on Iroegbu’s arrest noted “that the blogger was being sought over contents published on his website.”
He further added: “It is on record that the Abia State-born blogger has been constantly harassed by the agents and officials of the Abia State Government over his publications.
“It is also on record that some government officials in Akwa Ibom State have been uncomfortable with some of his publications online.”
In reply to Mr. Effiong’s claims, the Chief Press secretary to the Abia State Governor, Enyinnaya Appolos, was reported to have given the reason behind Iroegbu’s arrest as offences bordering on “defamation”.
The Abia state spokesman according to Premium Times said: “He recently published an article saying the governor buried a 9-year-old in the Government House in Umuahia.
“We are going to request that the SSS should transfer him to us after facing charges in Akwa Ibom.”
However, another news source, Social Times, obtained screen grabs of the defamatory materials allegedly published by the arrested blogger. The material detailed the State Governor’s diabolical activities within the Government House during his battle for supremacy against Uche Ogah.
The state spokesman further added: “We’re writing to the SSS to send him to Umuahia because we want him to come and prove all these things.”