By James Orji
Why is Governor Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers state, Ben Ayade after the life of Agba Jalingo, the publisher of Cross Rivers Watch, a Calabar based online newspaper. That is the poser for the cross Rivers state helmsman, who recently joined the APC from the opposition PDP.
The same question is being posed to the journalist who appears to have become a pain in the neck of Ayade who has severally denied being behind Jalingo’s predicament.
The tension between the duo has again reached a feverish level, after the Jalingo, accused the governor of trying to kill him yesterday. He made the allegation on the heels of his arrest, on Saturday, alongside four other persons during the protest by civil society groups in the state to mark this year’s Democracy Day.
Four persons, including Jalingo were tear gassed, blindfolded and arrested during the June 12 protest in Calabar on Saturday and later released, but the journalist-cum-activist said he was the main target.
Accusing the governor of trying to kill him, Jalingo who was detained for months for publishing a story against the state government said the governor had tried to frame him up on trump up charges some days earlier.
According to him “with a fake petition falsely accusing me of gun and bomb running on Friday, two ammunition planted by Ayade’s special forces was to rope me and shoot indiscriminately at our office, Saturday.
“I have no doubt that Governor Ayade wanted to kill me and make it look like a mistake or see me behind bars until the end of his failed government. Whatever the content, we want Ayade and his Special Forces to explain.
“I don’t know what chemicals the Special Forces in Ayade’s convoy repeatedly spread into our noses after arresting and blindfolding us. All four of us are still choking.”
The state government had in a press statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Christian Ita warned that it would not allow any protest to take place, to forestall the breakdown of law and order.
Itah said “The Cross River state government wishes to remind the general public that the ban on public procession and gathering in the state is still very much in force.
“Due to the prevailing security situation in the country, the government will not permit any procession or gathering under any guise on June 12 which is designated as Democracy Day.”
Jalingo, was last week arrested by the state police command for questioning after police said it received a petition that he’s involved in arms dealings. The police had earlier told him that he was being invited to clear the air on his alleged plan to lead protesters to foment trouble on June 12.
“There was a petition against him that he is a member of drug dealers, so we called him to question him,” the police spokesperson in Cross River State, Irene Ugbo
This is not the first time that the journalist has clashed with the state government. After spending five months in detention Jalingo was released in February last year.
He was first arraigned on August 22, 2019 after he published a story on how Governor Ayade, allegedly approved and diverted N500 million meant for the state’s microfinance bank. He blamed the governor for his predicament.
The governor, however, denied he was after Jalingo following the public outburst that greeting his detention. Ayade had said that the federal government was behind the journalist’s case over his involvement in the #RevolutionNow protest led by Omoyele Sowore.
Jalingo was charged with conspiracy, terrorism, treasonable felony and an attempt to topple the state government.
He was denied bail on two occasions by Simon Amobeda, a judge, who was caught in a leaked audio saying the journalist’s life was in the court’s hands. The saga forced the judge to recuse himself from the case, and eventually the release of Jalingo from detention last year February.
