Insider sources told SaharaReporters on Sunday that Nkwa was arrested for interviewing a former General Manager of Imo State Zoological Garden, Mr Francis Abioye, who exposed how Governor Hope Uzodinma demolished the state zoo and was allegedly planning to sell the land to his cronies.
More information behind the arrest of Owerri-based radio journalist and rights activist, Chinonso Uba, popularly known as Nonso Nkwa by the Nigeria Police Force has emerged.
Insider sources told SaharaReporters on Sunday that Nkwa was arrested for interviewing a former General Manager of Imo State Zoological Garden, Mr Francis Abioye, who exposed how Governor Hope Uzodinma demolished the state zoo and was allegedly planning to sell the land to his cronies.
SaharaReporters had reported that police filed charges against Nkwa before a Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly insulting, cyberstalking and cyberbullying Governor Uzodimma and Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo.
Although the police filed charges against Nkwa, he was never arraigned to take a plea until August 29, 2023, when he was released following a fundamental rights enforcement order by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which directed his release within 24 hours.
Nkwa was picked up in Owerri on Thursday, July 27, 2023, and detained at the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja till August 29, 2023.
Speaking to SaharaReporters on Sunday, the Owerri-based journalist disclosed that he would be arraigned tomorrow (Monday, September 11, 2023) at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The police in a charge with number FHC/ABJ/CR/367/2023 – Inspector General of Police Vs Chinonso Uba, which SaharaReporters obtained, told the court that Uba's offence contravenes the Cyber Crime Prohibition Act.
Count one reads, “That you CHINONSO UBA ‘m’ of on or about the 24th day of June 2023 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court intentionally sent a message by means of computer and social media networks such as Facebook, etc., made a video accusing Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and Asari Dokubo killed 100 (hundred) of Imo Youth and also burning houses in Imo State, with the intention of instigating Imo State people and Igbo Tribe worldwide against the Governor knowing the said information to be false and with intent to cause annoyance inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety to him and thereby committed an offence contrary and punishable under Section 24 (1) (B) Cyber Crime Prohibition Act.
Count two reads, “That you CHINONSO UBA ‘m’ of on or about the 24th day of June 2023 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly and intentionally made and transmitted a video via your Facebook social media handle and or any communication through a computer system or network with the intention to bully, threaten or harass the Governor of Imo State Hope Uzodinma, that he and Asari Dokubo killed 100 (Hundred) of Imo Youth and also burned their houses with the intention of instigating the youth against him and such communication places him in fear of death, violence or bodily harm to him and members of his family and thereby committed an offence contrary to 24 (2) (A) and punishable under Section 24 (2) (C) of the Cyber Crime Prohibition Act."
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters gathered that part of the reason why Governor Uzodinma was bent on prosecuting the journalist was for granting an interview to Abioye, a former General Manager of Imo State Zoological Garden.
Nkwa was arrested a few days after he interviewed Mr Abioye, in which the zoo general manager spoke about the happenings in the zoological garden and was to feature in another interview on a Friday before he was abducted on Thursday, the previous day, by the police.
One of the sources said, "You see the coincidence. So they didn't want Imo people to know what the government and his cronies were doing on the multi-million zoo garden, that had been fully developed with internationally standard built animal enclosure."
In July 2022, gunmen suspected to be kidnappers invaded First Baptist Church, Nekede in Imo State and abducted Abioye’s wife, Bola.
It was gathered that the hoodlums who were in police uniforms drove a grey-coloured Toyota Sienna minivan to the church on a Sunday.
The assailants were said to have shot indiscriminately to scare people.
Sources told SaharaReporters that Abioye’s wife was abducted last year because he was adamant amid the alleged corruption going on in the state regarding the plan by the governor to take over the land where the zoo was built.
"The kidnappers were arrested but released after pressure from the Imo State Government," a source told SaharaReporters.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters' efforts to speak with the state government on the allegations were unsuccessful as the Secretary to the State Government Mr Cosmas Iwu, did not answer his calls.
Also, the state information commissioner, Declan Emelumba did not answer his calls or reply to a text message sent to him.