Secret Reporters No place to hide
The Chief Editor of ElombahNews, erstwhile known as Elombah.com, Tim Elombah has raised alarm over threat to his life by men perceived to be operatives of the Nigerian Police.
Speaking to our correspondent on Friday, Mr Elombah narrated how some men have been threatening his life and that of his family ever since an FCT High Court ordered his release from police custody on January 25, 2018.
He said “Few weeks after he left police custody, two men came close to his house with a device, which he could not tell exactly what it was, in their hands.
He continued: “After sauntering around for a while, one of them pointed to my house and they exchanged glances and a smile and left.
“Unknown to them, I was inside my house watching them but they obviously thought I was not around as my car was at the mechanic’s workshop and my house was locked.
“I, however, let go of the incidence regarding it as weird.”
Speaking further, he said: “Besides that, my neighbours have observed strange faces perambulating near my house in my absence and called my attention accordingly.
“The threat reached a crescendo when, on Friday, March 2, 2018, a day after I was arraigned in court, as I was jogging in a football field near my house, two men riding on a motorbike approached me.
“On getting close they beckoned me and I assumed they were men asking for direction, or something of that nature.
“One of them called me by my name and pointed to my house and said: “You, who do you think you are suing the Inspector General of Police? We know where you live, you and your family.
“After tarnishing the IGP’s image you still have the guts to sue him for one billion Naira! If you don’t withdraw that suit, we will deal with you. Don’t forget we still listen to your telephone conversations”.
“I was 70% sure one of them was among the two that came near and pointed to my house that fateful day.
“Since then I had even abandoned my plans to pay for a new house I had initially wanted to buy and relocate to.
“Presently, I am very worried because if they can trace me to my country home in Nnewi in Anambra State, I wonder where I can go and they won’t find me.”
It could be recalled that on January 1, 2018, around 5am, men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad [SARS] numbering the country home of the Elombahs.
It was gathered that they climbed their gate using a ladder, ransacked the house, and arrested UK-based lawyer, Daniel Elombah, and the Elombah.com Editor, Tim, as well as 4 other male members of the house.
It was later learnt that the arrest was owing to an opinion article written by one Ebiowei Dickson and published on several other websites, but was not published not on Elombah.com.
Tim Elombah has since denied writing or publishing the controversial article.
Consequently, upon that arrest, the aggrieved Editor sued the Inspector General of Police [IGP], Mr Ibrahim Kpotum Idris to court and is claiming one billion Naira in damages.
Meanwhile, still on the same issue, the Nigerian Police, on Thursday, March 1, arraigned the duo of Daniel and Tim Elombah in the Federal High Court, Abuja, on a 4-count charge of cybercrime, cyber-bullying, publishing of article considered malicious to the IGP, and sponsoring Biafra terrorists.
The Elombah brothers pleaded not guilty to all the four counts.
The presiding judge, Justice Kolawole, after taking their pleas, adjourned the matter to May 3, 2018, for the trial.
