Publisher of Cross River Watch
On August 19, 2022, operatives of the Nigerian Police from the Force Headquarters, Abuja stormed and laid siege to the Lagos home of Mr. Agba Jalingo, publisher of Cross River Watch, and held down his wife and daughter demanding to know his whereabouts.
Agba was later arrested without any warrant and detained at Alapere Police Station in the Ketu area of Lagos. He was arrested for alleged defamation of character of the wife of Frank Ayade, the brother of the Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade.
Before his arrest, the publisher had announced on his Facebook page through a series of posts on his page the police siege.
In the posts, he said: “I don’t know who sent the police but they have held my wife and my daughter hostage downstairs. I don’t feel safe. Those are their faces”, sharing a picture of some men in mufti at the gate.
“Policemen are still surrounding my house in Lagos. I still don’t know what brought them here. My wife and daughter are held, hostage.”
While the policemen stormed his Lagos residence to arrest him, some persons had also surrounded the office of the publisher’s media office in Calabar, Cross River State. He was flown to Abuja on August 20.
Jalingo was arrested over an alleged false allegation that claimed Elizabeth paid one Mr. Pascal to write an examination for her at the Nigerian Law School.
Elizabeth, had through her lawyers, Uyi Frank Obayagbona & Co, in a letter dated July 6, 2022, to Jalingo, asked the publisher to delete a report on his media platform alleging defaming of her character.
He was released in the night of the following day, August 20 on bail and asked to report back on August 22.
