Nsukka Local Government Area chairman, Mr Jude Asogwa, did not mastermind Saturday’s attack on popular social media influencer Sen Chijinkem Ugwuanyi, according to a press release.
A statement issued by OC Ani for the Jude Asogwa Media Team on Sunday, entitled “Facts First: Nsukka LG Chairman Has No Link to Assault on Chijinkem Ugwuanyi”, urged the public to interrogate the incident involving Mr Ugwuanyi before arriving at the conclusion that the council boss sent the people that attacked him.
Ani wrote, “A video circulating widely on social media has sparked heated conversations, wild assumptions, and deliberate misinformation following the physical assault of one Mr Chijinkem Ugwuanyi As is often the case, facts have been sacrificed on the altar of speculation, while innocent persons, particularly the Chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area, Jude Asogwa, have been dragged into an incident they neither orchestrated nor influenced.”
Ani claims that the chairman had no involvement in the assault on Chijinkem Ugwuanyi. According to him, “no evidence, no credible witness account, and no security report has linked the chairman directly or indirectly to the unfortunate incident.”
The chairman’s media team claimed that preliminary accounts surrounding the incident indicated that Chijinkem Ugwuanyi had ongoing personal issues with certain individuals, arising largely from his persistent online conduct.
Quoting the group, “These disputes were personal in nature and bore no relationship to local government administration, political authority, or public office. To suddenly reframe a personal altercation as a politically sponsored attack is a dangerous leap driven by convenience rather than truth.
“Chijinkem has positioned himself as a controversial online personality, known for aggressive commentary, sensational claims, and repeated campaigns of calumny against individuals and institutions. His platforms thrive on provocation, insults, and unverified narratives, methods designed to attract engagement, comments, and reactions that translate into financial gain.”
Ani stated that while free speech remained a constitutional right, deliberate misinformation and sustained harassment inevitably create tension and hostility within society.
He continued, “This reality, however, does not justify violence. Physical assault remains condemnable and unacceptable under any circumstance. Yet, condemnation must be correctly directed. Responsibility for the assault rests solely with those who carried it out, not with a local government chairman who has become a convenient political scapegoat for a situation he neither caused nor controlled.”
The media team said the attempt to link the chairman to the incident followed “a familiar pattern: after months of antagonistic online attacks against the council leadership, a personal crisis emerges, and blame is swiftly redirected to the same public official previously targeted online.”
The release added, “This tactic seeks to achieve two objectives, deflect personal accountability and reignite online relevance through political controversy. Such conduct does grave damage to public discourse. It undermines governance, erodes trust, and fuels unnecessary tension within the Nsukka community.”
The team called for the evaluation of leadership based on policies, performance, and verifiable actions, not rumour, sentiment, or the emotional weight of viral videos.
“The chairman of Nsukka LGA remains focused on his mandate of grassroots development, peacebuilding, and effective administration. He has neither the character nor the history of sponsoring violence, and those who genuinely seek justice should resist the temptation to trade truth for online applause.
“The public must choose reason over rage and facts over fiction. Dragging innocent leaders into personal misfortunes may generate momentary attention, but it does nothing to serve justice or societal harmony,” the statement added.
Sen Chijinkem Ugwuanyi had told NEWSNGR that he recognised three among the six persons that allegedly attacked him at Umeano filling station, Nsukka.
According to him, “Those that attacked me were sent by the chairman of Nsukka LGA. Let him provide the three persons I identified. They didn’t damage my vehicle, but they damaged my two phones. I have reported the matter to the police. I’m currently in a hospital. I got the video they made from someone they secretly shared it with.”
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