Information reaching Viewers Corner News from our correspondent in Calabar (Nigeria) revealed that Mr Agba Jalingo who is a journalist with Cross River Watch in Cross River state (Nigeria) has been detained for writing article against governor Ben Ayade. Agba Jalingo was accusing governor Ben Ayade of embezzling about 500 million Naira belonging to Cross River state (Nigeria). We (Viewers Corner News team) want to remind governor Ben Ayade that in a democracy, the press is the mouthpiece of the people and can report their findings to the general public as they receive it but if the accusation put forward against you (governor Ben Ayade) for diverting almost 500 million Naira state money by Mr Agba Jalingo is not true, then the best thing to do is take him to a court of law in Nigeria where he would be asked to prove his case but arresting him and placing various funny charges against him (Mr Agba Jalingo) because all the state weapons to do so is in your possession as a governor would be an infringement against Mr Agba Jalingo’s freedom to carry out his duty as a journalist which is unacceptable. Again this intimidation being carried out by governor Ben Ayade and his government brings us to the issue of a state police in Nigeria, those in power would use the state police system to finally destroy whoever that is speaking the truth most especially the press. There would be lots of intimidation if such system is put in place in Nigeria. Look at governor Ben Ayade of Cross River state and his government putting a journalist in prison because the journalist (Mr Agba Jalingo of Cross River Watch) wrote an article accusing the governor of embezzling 500 million Naira state money. Somehow having a state police is good but governors in Nigeria can not honestly implement such system to favour all the people in their respective states. We (Viewers Corner News team) are calling on governor Ben Ayade of Cross River state to respect the rights of Mr Agba Jalingo who he allegedly connived with others to have him detained, release him without any condition or take him to a competent court of law in Nigeria if you are innocent of the accusation put forward against you, that is how democracy works. Nigeria is a democratic country and not in a military regime where people would be subjected to torture of all sorts without cogent reasons. Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River state, release the journalist (Mr Agba Jalingo) now and save your government from humiliation.
Source: Viewers Corner News.