Officials of the Sapele Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, were said to have invaded the Sapele office of Vanguard Newspaper, demanding for N100, 000 on the alleged order of the council Chairman, Mr. Ejaife Odebala.
Mr. Oghre Sapele LGA Boss, Ejaife Odebala
In the process, the men of the LGA, according to the Vanguard, beat up its Correspondent, Mr. Godwin Oghre and tore his T-shirt during a resultant scuffle.
The council staffers were also reported to have carted away various items from the newspaper office.
But in a telephone interview with E24-7 Magazine correspondent, Emmanuel Omene-Johnson, the Chairman of Sapele LGA, Mr. Ejaife Odebala while not denying the fact that his men were at the media office on official duty, said he was not briefed before Vanguard went to press.
Serene town of Sapele
“I was told that the council officials were at the newspaper’s office yesterday to demand unpaid tax owed by Vanguard.
“It was an issue that concerns the court officials, the police, and the Vanguard.
“But, however, if I were contacted I would have been able to put the situation under control.
“Mind you, no sane public officer, not even the President, would want to beat up a journalist.
I was in a meeting when his calls came in. When I called him back, it was for him to tell me that he has already sent his story to his Lagos office for onward publication. This morning, the story was on the news-stand.”
Serene town of Sapele
Culled from E24-7 Magazine