Ikpeazu's aide orders torture of ABN TV staff at Government House

ACB Agbazuere, the Chief of Staff to Abia state Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state on Thursday ordered security men attached to Government House Umuahia to torture a cameraman and a reporter working with ABN TV.

Trouble started when the journalists completed covering protesting members of College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) who were demanding their 25 months unpaid salaries by the state government.

Earlier, they had covered the COEASU members during their protest at Abia State House of Assembly where they waited in vain without anyone to address them.

Upon arrival at the Government House, ACB Agbazuere came to address them but not without ordering all the journalists present to put off their cameras.

After his address, ACB Agbazuere ordered the fierce looking security men to take the ABN TV staff and few other journalists present to a certain place to take care of them.

Surprising however, they were taken to a dark room where they were thoroughly tortured and intimidated and all items in their camera deleted.

The security men also went further to ask the reporter and the cameraman if they want to die young, threatening to deal with them along with their boss.

Reason for this action has not however been explained. When ABNTV contacted the Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu said the information available to him indicates that the allegation is not true.

All efforts to reach ACB Agbazuere to hear his own side of the story proved abortive as he refused to pick his calls or reply text messages sent to him.

ABN TV Director, Ifeanyi Okali is however likely to involve the Commissioner of Police in the state to investigate this threat to his life and that of his staff.