Premium Times Reporter
Mr. Saviour Imukudo, a Premium Times online newspaper reporter, was reportedly threatened with death for investigating a poorly executed constituency project in Akwa Ibom State. He alleged that he was threatened by agents of Tymme Energy Integrated Resources Limited, the company that executed the project
According to the reporter, the Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) awarded the rehabilitation of a set of 30 market stalls in Abiakpo community in Obot Akara Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State to Tymme Energy Integrated Resources Limited. However, due to the poor execution of the project didn’t last long before they began to dilapidate.
While investigating the execution of the project, Saviour contacted Andrew Okure, the man who supervised the rehabilitation of the stalls to get information from him but he declined to comment and Premium Times published its findings.
However, Mr Okure later called Imukudo, on January 4, 2023 apparently after reading the published story saying the community residents who commented on the project were “members of the opposition party”.
When Imukudo reached out to him on January 5 at about 10:57 a.m. for his official comment on the shoddy project, Mr. Okure said to the reporter: “I’m going to follow you up. Be careful, be careful.”
While Mr Okure was dishing out the threat, a male voice in the background could also be heard issuing out additional threats against the reporter. The voice from the background said: “Look at you, look at six feet. Don’t worry. Thank God, I know your name now. Somebody is telling you to go and die and you are following the person.”
Cletus Ukpong, the Premium Times bureau chief for the south-south and south-east regions vowed the outlet will not take the threat lightly and will ensure it reports formally to the police. Mr Ukpong said the newspaper will however not be cowed by the threat and will continue to hold powers accountable using professional journalistic tools.
