Wife Of Detained Enugu Journalist Appeals To Police

Mrs Eucharia Onwe, wife of sportscaster Michael Emeka, an Enugu-based journalist, Monday, appealed to concerned citizens, Nigeria Union of Journalists, human rights lawyers and public-spirited individuals to intervene in her husband’s continued detention at the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Nsukka.

Mrs Onwe, a private school teacher, said her husband has been in detention for almost two months over a matter she is not abreast of. According to her, her husband called her on phone on the fateful day, and informed her that he was arrested by the operatives of the Nigeria Police, Obollo-Afor Division.

She told THE WHISLTER that, “I received a call from him one afternoon that he was arrested over a land case. I don’t know anything about the matter whatsoever. We have been suffering since then. We have two sons, named Chumdindu, 6, and Chisimdirim, one. I’m a teacher in a private school here in Enugu. From my earning, I manage the family since his arrest. At times, we find it difficult to feed. We have no contact of any lawyer to help us.”

She said her husband randomly calls her from the custody. “He uses one number which he said belongs to the Welfare Unit of NCC. He calls about once in a week. He has been telling me to beg the man that he has a case with. He is appealing to be released so that he could settle the matter with him because detaining him does not lead to settling the case. He said he wants peace. He has repeatedly made this appeal. I know the man. He is popularly called Eze Omeogo as a nickname. He is from Nsukka. He should help us to settle this matter. Every case can be settled. It is only death that is final. If he is out, he will reach an agreement with the complainant. I don’t know anything about the case. It is only two of them that can settle him.”

She appealed for help to release the journalist. “Emeka I know is peace-loving. He wants peace. He has no relatives to come to stand for him in court. His story is pathetic, which I won’t like to disclose here. If he has people, they would have gone to rescue him. He can be there for years if no intervention is made, at least to release him. I doubt if anybody has ever visited him. I have not even gone because I don’t have money to go there. I can’t even feed my children. I promised to visit him, but not yet. I am begging Eze Omeogo to let him out so that solutions are looked into. The children cry everyday, yearning for him. My children are back to school. They deduct their fees from my salary. The youngest one has been sick. Somebody helped to settle his medical bill. Emeka told me that he would be arraigned in court on 27th of this month. I won’t go because of what I have told you. I have not seen him since his arrest.”

It was gathered that Emeka hails from Obollo-Afor in Udenu LGA while Eha-Alumona in Nsukka LGA is his maternal home. According to the wife, he was once a sportscaster with Enugu State Broadcasting Corporation, ESBS.