By Okey Alozie
Three unknown persons armed with assault rifles stormed Trumpeta office Monday afternoon to whisk away one of the senior reporters.
The men who claimed to be policemen came inside the Trumpeta Newspapers’ premises with a private vehicle and attempted to pick up the reporter over a publication of Weekend Trumpeta, Friday June 26, 2015 with the caption “Sex Scandal Rocks OCDA, Housewife Attacks Hubby In Office” with still pictures of the said incident.
The reporter, Onyekachi Eze, who was said to have been receiving threat calls from unknown persons since after the publication, also received threatening questions on reasons why he should make such publication.
According to Onyekachi, “I received a call from OCDA PRO, Mrs Adaugo Okwara, telling me that the man who was the subject of the news, Mr Festus Njoku, wants to meet with me based on the said publication. Before then, she had asked me to come over to OCDA premises that they were about having a board meeting. At that point, I insisted that I will not come over to see the person, but if the man in question insists on seeing me, she should give him my number so that we may talk on phone or I tell him where to meet. Immediately, another call came in with an unregistered number. The caller introduced himself as Mr Festus Njoku. After his introduction, I told him to come over to the office so as to discuss whatever he might have in mind before the publishers. Shortly after Mr Festus’ arrival the office, he started making calls to unknown persons before I discovered he had already arranged for heavily armed persons. They did all they could to drag me into their Steel-Grey coloured Toyota Camry car, but could not succeed as I refused because I didn’t understand their mission just as they did not show me, letter of arrest. At that juncture, one of the publishers, Trumpeta Staffers and people in the neighbourhood gathered requesting their mission.”
Following a little dialogue between the unidentified armed men and people around, it was agreed that Onyekachi be brought to the station.
However, a little drama ensued. Before the armed persons would return from the dialogue point, the man Festus Njoku, believed to have arranged them, who had been sitting tight in the Camry car, as events unfolded, disappeared.
People say they saw him, dressed in Imo Civil Service attire, sneak out of the car and run away, probably because his deal failed.
Nonetheless, the management of Trumpeta Newspapers have reported through this publication to alert the Nigeria Police Force, Imo State Command and other security agencies in the state of the development and threat to life of our reporter.
Onyekachi further hinted that his life has been in danger ever since that publication was made as he received information thatHoodlums are after him.
