Ebonyi Govt Declares Ex- Rep Member Wanted over “inciting” Facebook Post
By Master News
Ebonyi State government on Tuesday declared a former member of the House of Representatives, Linus Okorie over an alleged defamatory publication on the social media.
In a joint press briefing by the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Barrister Cletus Ofoke and the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Barrister Uchenna Orji, the former federal lawmaker was accused of inciting statement on his Facebook page which lead to the murder of Ebubeagu security personnel in Ikwo local government area of the state.
Okorie, who was a two term member of the House of Representatives is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said: “Council council considered a report presented to it by security agencies on the beheading of an Ebubeagu official in Ikwo local government area on 9th of January 2022”.
“The council noted the report on the issues and the revelation contained that report and therefore resolved to declare wanted one Hon Linus Okorie for the publication of an inciting statements some of which were posted on Facebook that were traced to be part of the inflammatory publications that really incited that very tension that led to the beheading of the Ebubeagu official”.
Mr Orji said the council noted that some other persons were accessories to the gruesome murder of the individual.
He said the council urged security agencies to expedite action on the investigation with a view to bringing all those involved to face the law.
In his swift reaction, Okorie noted that there were no particulars of the allegation leveled against him to warrant the defamatory declaration by the state security council.
“If, indeed, such a decision was arrived taken by the Security Council, one would doubt that the police and other security agencies were represented at such a meeting. This is because it is the duty of the Nigerian Police to investigate crimes and invite all named suspects for interrogation and even when a suspect fails to honor an invitation, there is a clear procedure that must be followed before such a person can be declared wanted by the police and not any security council meeting”.
“Let it be known that I have never been invited to answer to any allegations by the Nigerian Police or other security agencies any where in Nigeria”.
“Two, without so inviting by the police, I cannot lawfully be declared wanted by any authority for such an alleged crime by the police or any other authority under the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Again, going through the excerpts of the media briefing, I find no particulars of the allegation leveled against me to warrant the defamatory declaration by the said state security council.
All rights reserved. This post: 'Ebonyi Govt Declares Ex- Rep Member Wanted over “inciting” Facebook Post ' and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from Master News.
