Barr. B.A Daba Ikotubosin, Olomu-Ogbogbo community legal counsel, has dismissed a publication in a local tabloid, captioned, “Borokiri (Olomu-Ogbogbo) community leadership tussle: threat to security and blood bath looms in Borokiri community.”
The legal counsel said, the publication was baseless and has no iota of truth, but tailored to promote the personal ego of some mischief makers who have lost out in the leadership of the community.
He stated this while briefing The Newswriter senior correspondent, adding that the author of the false news, Mr. Samuel Joseph, is the 4th respondent in a case in the Rivers State High Court over the community leadership, Chief Berechiri Yemaiyaye and 4 others v Police Service Commission and 8 others, suit number PHC/2356/2011.
Barr. Ikotubosin also maintained that it is mandatory for parties in court to maintain the status quo and not to take any step likely to prejudice the mind of the court and stated that the allegations and claims in the publication are misconceived and intended to mislead the general public at the expense of the good and law abiding citizens of the community.
The statement further stressed that there has never been leadership tussle, nor threat to security and challenged anybody in doubt to cross check with the police or other security and government agencies.
He said Mr. Samuel Joseph was taking extra-legal steps to curtail the fundamental rights of his clients when they have not committed any offence known to law.
The council urged Mr. Joseph to supply evidence of such imminent blood bath and report to the security agencies, rather than using the media do cause fear and alarm in the populace while knowing that the newspaper is not a forum for maintaining law and order.
“In fact, if Mr. Samuel Joseph is a professional journalist who wears the garment called Gentleman of the Press, he is supposed to know this, unless he did not go through the professional walls,” the counsel concluded. ###
Alapakabia Tobin
