Mr. Sufuyan Ojeifo, the publisher of an online newspaper, The Conclave, has accused Mr. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, a Federal Commissioner with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), of allegedly threatening his life following his report on the leadership transition within the Bureau.
He made the disclosure through a petition to the Area Court 1, Kubwa, Abuja, through the Registrar, on December 29, 2023, in which he also sought the court’s directive to have the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) FCT Police Command, Garki, Abuja, investigate his direct criminal complaint of threat to life against Agbonayinma.
In a referral for investigation endorsed by the court registrar, marked DC/CR/564/2023 and dated December 29, 2023, about the case between Sufuyan Isa Ojeifo (complainant) and Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson and Others (defendants), addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, FCT Police Command, the court directed the police to conduct a thorough investigation in accordance with Section 89(50) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
The Police Force CID acknowledged receipt of the court referral on January 12, 2024.
Mr. Agbonayinma had also lodged a petition against the publisher to the Inspector General of Police, alleging “injurious falsehood and defamation of character”.
Following his petition, the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit issued an invitation dated December 28, 2023 and signed by ACP Ibrahim M. Musa (on behalf of the head, IGP Monitoring Unit), to Ojeifo requesting him to attend an interview with CSP Usman Garba on January 16, 2024, at 10 am, to provide further clarification on the allegations.
Upon honouring the police invitation and during the interrogation, Mr. Ojeifo was provided with a copy of the petition written by Agbonayinma’s counsel. In the petition, Agbonayinma alleged that by publishing a story titled “Presidency directs Kankia to act as chair of Code of Conduct Bureau,” the contents of a classified document were disclosed. He also alleged that the report defamed his character.
