How Imo lawmaker, Kennedy Ibe battered me, Journalist cries out

By Dorcas Otuokere Achi

Lagos based journalist and Publisher of Newsfield Magazine, Finian Chuks over the weekend, narrated his ordeal with Hon Kennedy Ibeh, member representing Obowo constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly.

According to the report by Owerri based tabloid, Watchdog, Chuks said he was at the APC Secretariat in Owerri on Thursday, like every other journalist when Hon Kennedy Ibeh stormed the venue with his colleagues. On sighting him, Kennedy Ibeh ordered some of his goons who accompanied him to APC Secretariat supposedly for the reception of some PDP members defecting to APC to kill him, bragging that nothing will happen.

Speaking further, Chuks said he had no misunderstanding or altercation with either Kennedy Ibeh or his goons and wondered why he should be so manhandled to the point of almost puncturing his eyes. He expressed fear that the people are still after him and called on Security Agencies and Human Rights Groups to intervene to save him.

It was later discovered that Ibeh and the victim before now had known themselves. The former was said to be a media handler for Ibeh until they had an issue over non-payment of monthly stipend for which both parted ways.

Reacting to Chuks’ claim, Ibeh acknowledged that Chuks was one of his media aides but absconded, leading to his replacement with another person. He attributed the stoppage of Chuks’s monthly stipend to the crux of the matter, stating that Chuks had gone about publishing libelous articles against him, using his Newspaper, Newsfield Magazine to malign him.

In a video message done by the lawmaker,Ibeh he denied beating or instructing his aides to beat up Chuks and urged Obowo people and Imolites to disregard the mud-slinging by Chuks.

Recall that Finian Chuks was beaten mercilessly on Thursday 28th of May, 2020 allegedly by Kennedy Ibeh’s supporters at APC Secretariat which led to his admission to the hospital and the loss of his phones.

– Except inputs on the headline, the text is credited to WatchDog