Police Arraign Journalists Over Report On Delta Community Crisis

The Nigeria Police on Thursday, October 24, 2019 arraigned the Managing Editor of the BIGPEN Online newspaper, Joe Ogbodu and Prince Amour Udemude, Nigerian journalists based in Delta state at the Magistrate court 5 Asaba, capital city of Delta state over a story reported about the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Alexander Ogomudia and one Sam Ogrih on a bloody crisis rocking Uzere community in Isoko South local government area of the state.

The former Chief of Defence Staff, General Alexander Ogomudia and one Sam Ogrih, had been allegedly fingered in the recent bloody N20 million oil crisis in the community by allegedly sponsoring and funding the armed youths with the codename “Freedom Fighters”, said to allegedly unleashing mayhem in the community.

The former Chief of Defence Staff, General Alexander Ogomudia and one Sam Ogrih, had denied their alleged involvement in the crisis and sponsoring of the armed youths, (Freedom Fighters) in the community.

In a charge no CMA/425c/2019, the Commissioner of Police vs Prince Amour Udemude and Joe Ogbodu, the two journalists, were charged for misdemeanor to with defamatory.

In the charge sheet obtained by journalists, the five counts read thus:

Count 1: That you Prince Amour Udemude ‘m’ and Joe Ogbodu ‘m’ and others now at large, in the month of October 2019, while in Asaba, within Asaba Magisterial District, did conspired among yourselves to commit misdemeanour to wit Defamatory Publication and thereby committed an offence publishable under Section 517 of the Criminal Code Law Cap. C21 of Delta State 2006.

Count II: That you Prince Amour Udemude ‘m’ and Joe Ogbodu ‘m’ and others now at large, in the month of October 2019, while in Asaba, within Asaba Magisterial District, with intent to injure the reputation of one Sam Ogrih, by exposing him to hatred or ridicule, did publish on BIGPEN ONLINE  that Ogrih has been a major financier of armed boys unleashing terror in Uzere community and thereby committed an offence publishable under Section 357 of the Criminal Code Law Cap. 21, of Delta State 2006.

Count III: That you Prince Amour Udemude ‘m’ and Joe Ogbodu ‘m’ and others now at large, in the month of October 2019, while in Asaba, within Asaba Magisterial District, with intent to injure the reputation of one Sam Ogrih, by exposing him to hatred and ridicule, did publish on SAHARA REPORTERS that Sam Ogrih, Columbus, Etuwede were behind the vicious attacks witnessed in attacks witnessed in Uzere community and supplied some youths with guns and other dangerous weapons to attack those who opposed the diversion and embezzlement of the twenty million naira oil largess released to the community by Nigeria National Petroleum Development Company and thereby committed an offence publishable under Section 357of the Criminal Code, Cap. C21 vol.1 Laws of Delta State 2006.

Count IV: That you Prince Amour Udemude ‘m’ and Joe Ogbodu ‘m’ and others now at large, on 17th of October, 2019, at Asaba, within Asaba Magistrate District, with intent to injure the reputation of Sam Ogrih, by exposing him to hatred and ridicule, did publish on BIGPEN ONLINE that over forty percent of armed youths in Uzere are Sam Ogrih boys and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 357 of the Criminal Code, Cap. C21 vol. 1.Laws of the Delta state 2006

COUNT V: That you Prince Amour Udemude ‘m’ and Joe Ogbodu ‘m’ and others now at large, on 14th of October, 2019, at Asaba, within Asaba Magistrate District, did publish on BIGPEN ONLINE that Sam Ogrih has been a major financier of the armed boys unleashing terror in Uzere community, which is likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or to disturb the public peace, knowing or having reason to believe that such report is false thereby committed an offence punishable under section 59 of the Criminal Code, Cap. C21 vol. 1.Laws of the Delta state 2006.

The two journalists after listening to the five counts charge, pleaded not guilty and their counsels, Chuks Ebu and Lawrence Obiorah, counsels applied for the bail of the two journalists.

Thereafter the Presiding Magistrate, court five, Asaba, B.N. Anumadu, (Mrs), granted the application for bail for two journalists and the case was adjourned to November 12, 2019 for hearing.