Gov Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State
The Ebonyi State Government has denied the claims of some Nigerian newspapers and tabloids that some detained members of the terror group, Boko Haram had been moved to the Abakaliki prisons.
The denial was contained in a release by the Chief Press Secretary to the Ebonyi State Governor, Mr Emma Anya.
According to Anya, the state government “read with utter disgust, stories by two national dailies that there was panic in Ebonyi State over rumour of the transfer of some Boko Haram inmates from Ekwulobia Prisons in Anambra to Abakaliki Prisons.
His Excellency, the Governor of Ebonyi State, Eng. David Umahi, is surprised that almost 48 hours after he addressed a live press conference denying the rumour , the newspapers still went ahead to publish falsehood.”
“Eng. Umahi had at the news conference unequivocally stated: “One of the few
issues some of you journalists sent me text messages was that Boko Haram prisoners
in Anambra State prisons, according to them have been relocated to
issues some of you journalists sent me text messages was that Boko Haram prisoners
in Anambra State prisons, according to them have been relocated to
Abakaliki prisons.
“That was a very bad news for me and I said Father, still help me to overcome this challenge. I started making phone calls but
at the end of the day, it turned out to be false news. We need to be very careful because that was capable of disintegrating the state and inflicting fears in our people.
“So, we need to screen information we are getting and one of them (journalists) said a prison
official told him but that was not cautious. So, there is nothing like that. Our people should go about their normal business. If such a thing were
to happen, what were the criteria that would make Ebonyi State qualify to host such high calibre criminals; the prison space is not there;security is not there; and Ebonyi is too small a place and of course, the governor must be informed as the Chief Security.
“So, we need to screen information we are getting and one of them (journalists) said a prison
official told him but that was not cautious. So, there is nothing like that. Our people should go about their normal business. If such a thing were
to happen, what were the criteria that would make Ebonyi State qualify to host such high calibre criminals; the prison space is not there;security is not there; and Ebonyi is too small a place and of course, the governor must be informed as the Chief Security.
“So, I want to tell our people there won’t be such because Ebonyi is not ripe at all to harbour Boko Haram prisoners and we will not harbour them in Jesus name.”
“It is therefore utterly disappointing that the newspapers still went ahead to publish the falsehood. While the governor agrees that rumours are a veritable source of information for journalists, rumours must be verified and when not true must be ignored. Abakaliki prisons are within the capital city and therefore should not have taken the newspapers more an hour after His Excellency made the denial to authenticate his comment”, the release notes further
“Strangely, one of the newspapers still went ahead to repeat the falsehood in its Sunday(yesterday) edition. The story in the two editions(Saturday and Sunday) states in paragraphs eight and nine, that the newspaper spoke with the Commissioner in charge of the state Police Command, Peace Abdallah and the Spokesman for the Abakaliki Prisons, Mr Frank, who said they were unaware of such development. In Paragraph 10, the same newspaper quoted Anamabra State Governor Willie Obiano as saying that the 47 inmates in Ekwulobia Prisons were taken out of the South-East. We therefore ask, is Abakaliki no longer in the South-East?”
“Going by the statements by Governors Umahi and Obiano as well as Abdallah and Frank, a discernng mind would know that the rumour isnt true. His Excellency hereby restates his call to all residents of and travellers to Ebonyi State to go about their normal business without fear.
He is optimistic that God will help Nigeria to put hehind, the issue Boko Haram”, Anya concluded.
.
admin
