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| Maazi Obinna Oparaku Akuwudike |
A Nigerian journalist and media activist, Maazi Obinna Oparaku Akuwudike, was taken into custody by police in the early hours of Thursday, May 22, in Owerri, Imo State.
Sources indicate that Akuwudike was arrested around 3:00 a.m., in a move believed to be linked to a recent high-profile interview he conducted. The interview, which featured controversial political commentary involving Senator Godswill Akpabio and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, was published on journalist Adeola Fayehun’s YouTube channel.
During the interview, Obinna revealed that Sandra Duru, also known as Prof Mgbeke, paid him a significant sum of money to produce defamatory content aimed at discrediting Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Obinna, who clarified his initial engagement with Duru as a standard media production contract, said he became uncomfortable with the assignment after discovering inconsistencies in her claims.
“I received money for producing videos but grew concerned after noticing inconsistencies in Duru’s public statements,” he said.
He explained that after hearing certain controversial remarks made by Duru during a livestream, he decided to publicly withdraw from the assignment and expose what he described as fabricated lies against Senator Natasha.
“All the claims made against Senator Natasha were false and part of a broader smear campaign,” he asserted.
Obinna’s arrest has sparked concerns of a wider conspiracy, with speculation that it may be aimed at silencing a key whistleblower in the alleged smear campaign against Senator Natasha, who had previously accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.
Observers fear the arrest could be politically motivated and an attempt to intimidate voices speaking out against powerful figures.
When contacted, however, the Public Relations Officer of the Imo State Police Command, DSP Henry Okoye confirmed the arrest.
“Yes, he is confirming a case we are investigating. Initially, he was the complainant in the matter. But then he posted another video on social media, which resulted in a defamation of character against one Sandra Duru,” the spokesperson said.
“We served him an invitation and asked him to come and explain the things he had said. He did not report on time. In fact, he refused to report, and then we arrested him. But there is no cause for alarm. We are going to carry out a diligent investigation, and at the end of the day, justice will be served.”
~Courtesy: Vanguard Newspaper
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