Benin City, Nigeria – A Benin-based journalist has petitioned the Nigeria Police Force over alleged threat to his life by some unknown persons.
The Journalist, Mr. Mike Osarogiagbon writes for Edo State-owned media outfit The OBSERVER newspaper and Alltimepost.com, an online medium based in the United States of America.
The petition dated September 8th, 2022 and titled “Threat To Life By Some Unknown Persons” was addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Police Command Headquarters, Benin City.
In the petition, the journalist explained that his recent ordeal started while carrying out investigation to give an update of his previous stories with the headlines “Accountant Allegedly Kills His Wife In Benin, Then Feigns Suicide, and Edo Police Investigate Women’s Claim Her Husband Died By Suicide” which were published online on July 18th and 20th, 2022 respectively.
“Sir, I recalled that my ordeal started when I reported two cases of suspected suicide investigated by the homicide unit of Edo State Police Command which the Police Public Relations Officer SP Chidi Nwabuzor briefed the press about.
“The stories with headlines Accountant Allegedly Kills His Wife In Benin, Then Feigns Suicide; and Edo Police Investigate Women’s Claim Her Husband Died By Suicide, were published online on July 18th and 20th, 2022 respectively. (Copies of published stories attached).
“A week after, I went back to the PPRO to get updates of the two suspected suicides under police investigation, I went further to speak with one Mr. Festus Agho and Mrs. Rita Enemare identified as complainants of the cases therein.
“During my conversation with Mrs Rita Enemare she alleged that her sister in-law identified as Edith Efene who is based in New York, United States of America made an emergency call to her the day her husband died urging her to call one Raymond to go and talk to her husband that all will be well again. She claimed to have left her husband at home as what the said Edith Efene told her husband before he took his life was unknown to her.
“To balance my story, I demanded to get her response or side of the allegation, then, Mrs. Rita Enemare availed me Edith Efene phone number…, the petition stated.
The journalist further said that when he called Edith Efene to get her side of the allegation, she declined comment as hours after, the threat calls started hitting his phone.
“Unknown Caller: This is Jerry from Holland. Journalist: You are welcome brother. Unknown Caller: Do you know why I call you? Journalist: No sir. Unknown Caller: I just want you to back off from our family issue. Don’t ever call my sister again or send her a message. Otherwise, you will not like what I will do to you… I left Nigeria, ok! If you know what is good for you, back off, ok! You and Rita should go and do whatever you want to do. I repeat myself, back off ok! I am that kind of person I don’t take shit, if anybody fuck with me I gun that person down, I have my license, everything here. Bro, back off from my family issue. If you don’t don’t back off I know what to do, I have a brother who is an ASP in the police, hundred years is not forever… fuck you!
“Earlier, on Thursday, August 4, 2022 at 3:43a.m this number a dropped the following messages on my WhatsApp page.
“Pls go and get ur story right and ask Rita to tell u how she killed my brother. Period
“Let today be the first and last u call my sister in USA…,U got my message right, I am Oyas big sister form Canada.
“Get ur message right before u get ur self involved,” the petition quoted.
The journalist who expressed shock at the refusal of Edith Efene to simply state her own side of the allegation, but instead, resorted to this criminal path, appealed to the state commissioner of police to investigate and call the people (their numbers withheld by us) to order.
