Alleged Character Assassination: Police invites Delta ACNPN Chairman, Akiri

In what she perceives as a clampdown on members of Delta State Chapter of Association of Community Newspaper Publishers of Nigeria, ACNPN, the Delta State Chairman of ACNPN and Publisher of Isoko Mirror Newspaper, Mrs. Felida Osede Akiri has been invited by the police in Garki-Abuja over a case of alleged criminal conspiracy/assassination of character and involvement in electoral fraud.

The police invitation which is sequel to a petition filed by the member representing Isoko Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Hon. Leo Okuweh Ogor ,is asking Mrs. Felida Akiri to report at Force CID, Federal SARS Area 3 Abuja September 1, 2014 by 10:00 hours.

The Federal Lawmaker is miffed by a report published by Isoko Mirror in a recent publication wherein he was alleged to have hired one Comrade Gabriel Udemude of Ikpide-Irri Community in Isoko South Local Government area of Delta State to massively thumb print for him during the House of Representatives election held in 2011 which he won.

Hon. Ogor in a swift reaction to the publication while addressing selected newsmen at his country home in Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State on August 2, 2014 described the allegation by Gabriel Udemude as “faulty” and aimed at dragging his good name to the mud.

He claimed not to know the said Udemude nor has he seen him before, just as he added that his attention was equally drawn to similar publications in Daily Independent and Delta State owned Pointer Newspapers”.

In a swift reaction however, Publisher of Isoko Mirror Newspapers, Mrs. Felida Akiri accused the Lawmaker of threatening her life, claiming Hon. Ogor booked an appointment with her on the issue but failed to honour same.

According to her, efforts made to get the Lawmaker’s side of the story before going to press were futile.

She declared, “there was another story against him, I called him personally and he did not pick my call. I sent him a text message, no response and you don’t expect me to continue waiting for him before I go to press. I am not the only one who has carried the story.

The story is everywhere and it is about a road contract in Ozoro (referring to a fresh publication) and my Deputy Editor called him and sent him a text message which he refused to respond to”.

While expressing displeasure at the way the Federal Lawmaker is allegedly accusing her of being sponsored to tarnish his name, Mrs. Akiri stated that Hon. Ogor is purportedly attacking other state and national newspapers that published the same stories believed to be targeted at assassinating his character.

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