Enugu blogger may face jail term over alleged anti-government publications

Jude Ogbonna, the publisher of alutaexpress.com (Aluta), is facing indemnity of N100 million for publishing alleged libel against a politician in Enugu State.

The journalist disclosed this through a press release on Friday while also notifying the public of alleged threats against himself by some politicians in the state.

One Mr. Chidi Victor, a Councillor in one of the local government areas in the state, has been reportedly sponsoring espionage activities against the blogger, the statement claimed.

It reads in part: “Another politician, Hon. Chidi Victor, the Councillor representing Nenwe Ward 1 (Aninri, Enugu) sent a letter on October 28, 2021, through one Mr. Ikenna Nweke who claimed to be a lawyer. After unsuccessfully trying to lure the editor to come to a certain place in the night of October 27, he had sent the letter where he said that our company must indemnify Hon. Chidi with sum of N100 million or face ‘their wrath’.

“According to him, his group has been tracking Mr. Jude Ogbonna for over a month and now has every data about him.”

An unapologetic fiery critic of the State Government, Mr. Ogbonna is considered a potent threat in several political circles in his Aninri hometown. He has said that his is a “personal blog with radical left leaning.”

But as he faces legal battles in coming days, it remains to be verified if the Ikeoha camps where he obviously belong could intervene to save him from possible imprisonment.