The BBC reporter who is in hiding, in another letter to the Force Public Relations Officer lamented that his life was still under constant threats.
A journalist with the British Broadcasting Corporation, Peter Nkanga, who did an investigative report on a radio personality, Ahmed Isah, also known as Ordinary President, has lamented that for over a week, the police had failed to act on the petition he and the BBC submitted to them.
Nkanga had cried out over various death threats he received since the report came on air on May 17, while urging the police to invite and investigate the radio personality.
The BBC reporter who is in hiding, in another letter to the Force Public Relations Officer, dated June 2, and obtained by SaharaReporters, lamented that his life was still under constant threats.
He asked the police to get Isah to sign an undertaking that nothing untoward would happen to him and his family.
He signed the letter as “Peter Nkanga, Journalist in hiding.”
He said, “I am reaching out to you because I don't feel safe. What is worrying me and really affecting my family is that for over a week, the Police are yet to act on the clear threats to my personal safety.
“On Tuesday, 25 May 2021, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) submitted an official letter with corroborating evidence to the Inspector-Genaral of Police regarding harassment, cyberbullying and threat to my life and others.
“It is over a week now, and I am following up to know the status of the letter and the actions that the Police have taken, most particularly for Ahmad Isah of the Human Rights Radio 101.1Fm to be invited to sign an undertaking that no harm will befall me, my family and BBC crew. This is because the harassment and threats were occasioned by our phone numbers released on his live programme to the public.
“I am reaching out to you Mr Mba because I don't feel safe. Truth be told, I won't feel safe until Ahmad signs this undertaking for at least two reasons; one, because Ahmad is someone with power and influence who boldly lied on his live show when he told his followers and the whole world that I and the BBC plotted to kill him. This was a premeditated lie with malicious intentions.
“Family, friends and associates, at home and abroad, feel the same way. We are calling on the Police to intervene to nip the threat to my life and ensure the safety of me, my family and the BBC crew by getting Ahmad to sign an undertaking.”
Also, the BBC Africa Eye Editor, Marc Perkins, wrote a petition to the Inspector General of Police, dated May 21, 2021, and titled, “Petition to the IGP on the threat to safety and security of BBC Reporter, contributors and crew members by Mr Ahmed Isah and followers of human rights radio and brekete family show.”
“We urge the Nigerian police to investigate these threats and harassment and at the same time, we want to put on record that BBC and Africa eye investigation crew have not done anything wrong to warrant these cyber-attacks, threats and harassment,” he noted.
SaharaReporters had on May 24 obtained some of the screenshots and voice notes of the death threats as shared by Nkanga who reported a documentary of how Isah allegedly assaulted a criminal suspect, who allegedly set fire to the hair of a six-year-old girl.
The BBC documentary had shown Isah, the human rights advocate slapping Susan, the suspect as well as how Isah abandoned human rights cases without explanation after promising to follow them to their logical conclusion.
Isah was subsequently criticised by various human rights groups and advocates who demanded and forced an apology on air from him days later.
Nkanga, in a statement he shared, said he had however been receiving death threats from the supposed Isah’s supporters after his mobile lines were released on air for cyber bullying.