A journalist is attacked, tortured over a story about illegal importation of arms




'Blindfolded, tortured, then hung to a wall'



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AS he lay on the hospital bed, it was obvious the man was in serious pain. His head, grotesquely swollen, was heavily bandages as were his legs.

Some members of his family and his fellow workers at Tentacle surrounded his bed, waiting for the doctor, who was being expected as at the time The Guardian visited the Lagos hospital.

A source disclosed that the patient, Innocent Chukwu, the editor of Tentacle, a Lagos-based bi-weekly news magazine, had been on infusions since he was brought to the hospital, the night before.

From his swollen head and broken legs, it was obvious that Chukwu must have sustained severe injuries.

However, no one could ascertain the severity of his injuries and the extent of damage, as the doctor's report was still being expected.

But, though he could hardly speak, his spirit seemed very strong and yet un-cowed.

With the support of a colleague, though his right hand was still attached to an infusion bag, Chukwu managed to raise his head, peering through swollen eyes, to see his sympathizers.

"We are still waiting for the doctor to come. For now, I can't tell the extent of the damages, but they have conducted their tests. By the time he comes this morning, I will know my fate," Chukwu said in a very weak tone.

Reading from a statement signed by the Executive Editor of the magazine, Charles Uzoma, Chukwu alleged that he was, on Wednesday, October 20, attacked and brutalized by men suspected to be from the Customs and Excise and some hoodlums suspected to be smugglers at Seme Border.

It is believed that the attackers were acting on the orders of an Area Comptroller of Customs at the Officer at the Seme Border Command, Alhaji Maitama Kura.

According to Chukwu, the attack was not unconnected with the cover story published in the October 31 edition of Tentacles, entitled: Illegal Arms Importation Rises At Ports, Border Posts: Customs Admits Porous Borders.

"Maitama claimed that the story indicted him. He said the report would bring government attention more on the border post, wondering why other borders were not mentioned like Seme border in the report," Chukwu said.

His ordeal started on Tuesday, October 19, 2010, when the Public Relations Officer of Seme Customs, Mr. Olottah, on the orders of the Area Comptroller Seme, invited Chukwu to their office for "an urgent discussion."

"He called me on the phone to inform me that Maitama wanted to see me urgently the following day by noon for an interview to highlight the Command's side of the story.

" I had booked an earlier appointment with a Senator in Abuja, so, I told Olottah that I was already engaged on that date."

But according to Chukwu, Olottah pleaded with him to cancel the Abuja appointment since the matter at hand was very crucial.

So, in order to give the Customs a chance to respond, he cancelled his appointment with the Senator.

"On getting to the CAC's office at noon that day, I was requested to produce the tape with which I recorded the previous interview I had with Maitama, or be arrested by the State Security Service (SSS).

"I told them I would not surrender the tape under duress, but would produce it at an appropriate time and place."

The tape being demanded was recorded during the interview Chukwu had with Maitama, from which he published the story. Maitama and his men had felt indicted and wanted the tape.

But despite the threats, Chukwu stood by his story, which made the CAC and his officers very angry.

According to Chukwu, an understanding was reached that the CAC would grant him another interview to correct any wrong impressions created.

"I was in company of other journalists whom the CAC directed to another office, but requested that I stayed behind for the interview. That was when Jappa, another customs officer, walked in and said to the CAC, 'Oga, let me take this one to the boys the other side.'

Both the CAC and Jappa muttered a few words in Hausa before he, Maitama said to me, 'Inno, you can follow him to the other office."

According to Chukwu, he followed Jappa downstairs, where he thought the other journalists were. But instead of meeting the journalists, he dragged Chukwu to a group of angry-looking men and said, 'This is the idiot.'

"The plain-clothe men numbering over 50, whisked me away, blindfolded me and took me to a hidden place.

They stripped me, tied legs and hands and hung me on a wall. They used lit cigarettes to burn my private part. They also used broomsticks to pierce my penis. At last, they put back my torn clothes and headed for the river," Chukwu narrated.

His saving grace came when a neatly dressed middle-aged man appeared to warn the suspected smugglers that, 'the Area Controller said he was taken from his office, so, don't kill him.'

"The men, who claimed that I was trying to take away food on their table through my report, led me straight to the CAC's office, yet, he did not question them concerning the act."

According to Chukwu, "The CAC told me, to my face, that he planned the attack and pleaded that I waited a while in his office while he would order his escort team to take me to a hospital in Apapa. He pleaded with me to agree to a settlement, which I rejected. I insisted that the public must hear this."

Upon Chukwu's insistence, the CAC and his senior officers invited the Divisional Police Officer, Seme Border, who offered to escort the brutalized journalist to Lagos.

When asked why he chose to disclose the identity of his source when the information was given in confidence, Chukwu, who was very weak managed to say: "This is an issue of security of lives; I love this country and I don't want anything to happen, especially as we are preparing for the elections. I acted in public interest."

According to Chukwu, the case has been registered with the police for further investigations.

"They've been here several times. In fact, we are expecting them to come any moment from now. The picture he's taking is for the police because they demanded for it, " he said, pointing to a young photographer, who was capturing the battered journalist from different angles.

Asked if he's ready to prove his case if the matter is taken to a law court, Chukwu said, "Our lawyer has already petitioned them. We are ready to take this case to any length. I have all the evidence to prove my case, but that is not what we are talking of, for now," he submitted.

In a petition to the Area Commander, Area E, FESTAC, Lagos, dated October 20, his lawyers, Stella Ukaegbu & Associates, narrated their client's ordeal, insisting that the perpetrators must be made to face the law.

None of the efforts made to reach Kura Maitama was successful.

How can humans be as wicked as this?

Season 8 of 24 TV series,

I fear for the live of this guy, they'll murder him if tight security is not tightened around him.


Trouble is brewing in Naija.

My brother, where can he get the tight security?

Poor jounrnalist. . .well, its all in the line of duty. . .