I’m A Very Dangerous Man; You Won’t Live To Tell The Story – Council Chairman Threatens Journalist
An investigative journalist based in Delta State, Prince Amour Udemude, has raised the alarm over alleged threats to his life.
The journalist stated that the chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, Jaro Egbo, popularly known as (High Voltage) vowed to take his (Armour’s) life should the journalist go ahead to report a story on hike in locked-up shops and open market shops.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that barely three weeks after the local council election, residents of Ughelli North Local Government Area accused the newly elected chairman of the council, Jaro Egbo, of replicating what they called “President Bola Tinubu’s draconian policies to inflict more pains, hunger and hardship on them, the people.”
According to some of the residents, who are mainly business owners, they had said the chairman who is aware of the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest against Tinubu’s regime, went ahead in the wake of the protest to increase yearly rent for shops from its normal N5000 to N240,000.
He also raised the usual N2500 for the issuance of certificate of local government of origin to N16,000 thereby inflicting more hardship and hunger on them.
Meanwhile, narrating his ordeal to fellow journalists on Thursday, Udemude said, “On Thursday, around 5:44pm, I put a call across to the chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Area, Jaro Egbo, to hear from him on his recent hike in locked-up shops, open market shops and certificate of local government of origin which has generated protest and agitation by residents and some traders.
“The council chairman did not even allow me to finish my question, the next thing from him was, you are a blackmailer, don’t try your blackmail on me. A journalist called and was asking me about this same story, this is blackmail. If you try your blackmail on me I will make sure you don’t live to tell the story. I will remove all your teeth, I will make sure I bring you down. Ask the CPS to the governor who is your boss about me. Ask him who is High Voltage, he will tell you more about me.
“I am going to save your contact now. If you like record me, I am a very dangerous man; go and ask of me. Let me read your report anywhere and I will fish you anywhere and I will make sure you leave Delta State in a terrible condition. Because, I asked the president of the market women and she said she has not spoken to any journalist about the issue. None of you can blackmail me and go free, you won’t live to tell the story. Even, the rent for the locked up shops and open market shops has not expired till next year March.
“Just go ahead and publish and you will see what will happen to you in Delta State. I will make sure I wipe you from this earth. Just try me.”
According to the journalist, he has notified the appropriate quarters over the threats to life issues to him by the council chairman, and he is using the opportunity to alert the general public, that should anything funny happens to him or any member of his family, Jaro Egbo alias High Voltage should be held responsible.
“I am not taking this threat to my life likely and I am using this opportunity to inform the general public that should anything funny happens to me or any member of my family, the chairman of the Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta state, Jaro Egbo AKA High Voltage should be held responsible. I was only doing my professional job by calling to hear from him and he started threatening to kill me and accused me of blackmail.”
