The attention of the office of the Minority Whip/member representing Arochukwu State Constituency, in the Abia House of Assembly, has been drawn to a Vanguard Newspaper Publication of March 31, 2021, with the title ”7 feared dead, 4 missing in Akwa Ibom over renewed attack by Abia Community”, by one Chioma Onuegbu, which accused the people of Arochukwu Kingdom of killing 7 of Ikpanja indigene of Akwa Ibom State and raped their women.
In a statement signed by his Media Assistant, the Lawmaker, Hon. Mike Ukoha, described the publication by Chioma Onuegbu, as false, baseless and provocative.
The release is therefore calling on the Journalist, Chioma Onuegbu, to immediately withdraw the publication and tender an unalloyed and unreserved apology to the people of Arochukwu or be ready to be sued by a team of Lawyers, for her false publication against them.
The statement explained that the fracas between people of Ugbo village in Arochukwu and their Akwa Ibom neighbors happened on March 12th and 13th, 2021, and in the ugly incident, a youth from Arochukwu was killed and beheaded.
The Lawmaker in the statement wondered why the Journalist should stoke embers of disunity, by whipping up sentiments through her false publication in Vanguard Newspaper, when truely nothing of such happened.
The statement is also, calling on the Management of Vanguard Newspaper and Publishing Company, to re-assess the true journalistic qualification of their staff (Chioma Onuegbu), with a view to correcting the fake news with facts of what happened on March 13, 2021.
He therefore urged the general public to ignore the report and treat it as false, saying that talks is ongoing between the two communities for a peaceful resolution of their differences.
Signed
Chimezie Okoroafor
Media Assistant to the Minority Whip
ABHA
March 31, 2021.