A People’s Democratic Party counselorship candidate in the Abia state Local Government election at Amaekpu Item, Bende LGA Mr Iheanacho Udensi, on Friday attacked the reporter of the Punch newspaper in the state Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, who was in the area to monitor the election.
Ikokwu, had finished an interview session with some voters who were waiting for the arrival of Electoral material and adhoc staff of the Abia state independent Electoral Commission at 1:15pm when Udensi approached him with gang of over ten men.
He had asked the Journalist to identify himself and explain why he was interviewing people at the village square.
But not satisfied after sighting the identity card of the Journalist, he question why was been led around by a candidate of another political party.
The reporter told Udensi, that the guide was only taking him round to see things for himself as a member of the community, adding the he only interviewing the electorates and not Party big wigs.
At that point Udensi, ended the interaction with the Journalist and went physical and slapped the reporter.
Ikokwu, “I wasn’t expecting Udensi to attack me since we spoke in our local dialect and I had told him I hailed from a neighboring Local Government.
“But he slapped me on my left cheek and made an attempt to repeat same on the right side, but I waged his hand while telling him to calm down.
“He forcefully collected the mobile phone I was using for recording to the public outcry by locals against his actions.
“I still pleaded with him to release the phone to me adding that I was ready to interview him on the out come of the election, but he threatened to deal with me if I didn’t go.
“At that point I asked other indegenes of the community to lead me to the place of the traditional ruler to make a complaint, although he was not I was taken to president general of the community Prince Gabriel Jonah, who promised to do justice to the matter.
“But returning to the village Udensi had been summoned by some elders of the community who condemned his actions and asked him to hand over the phone to me.
“He said he will only do that on the condition that I must delete all my recordings, but insisted that I will not do that since I interviewed electorates and not politicians, at that point he handed over the phone to me with apologies and went away with his gang”.
