Akwa Ibom Governor ‘Orders’ Arrest Of Newspaper Publisher

The publisher and editor-in-chief of Global Post newspaper,
Gideon Ekere, has been arrested by the Department of State Services allegedly
on the orders of Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State.

Global Post, a weekly newspaper in Akwa Ibom State, had
alleged in one of its recent editions that Governor Udom was involved in a s3x
scandal.

A fellow publisher in Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Sam, said the
SSS arrested Mr. Ekere based on a petition sent to it by Governor Udom
Emmanuel.

Emmanuel Sam said his own newspaper, The Guide, as well as
Global Concord and Mr. Ekere’s Global Post had been marked for clampdown by
security agencies in the state, on the orders of Governor Emmanuel.

“They have been accusing us of publishing reports that are
critical to the governor. I want the world to take note of what is going on in
Akwa Ibom State,” said Emmanuel. “Is this the democracy we all fought for?,” he
asked.