Police arrest journalist Agba Jalingo again, accuse him of arms dealing

The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a human right activist and newspaper publisher, Agba Jalingo over allegations that he was an arms dealer.

He was arrested at the police headquarters, Calabar, on Friday where he went to honour an invitation by the Commissioner of Police in the State, Kayode Sikiru, Cross River Watch said in a report.

In the report, Mr Sikiru invited Mr Jalingo to the police headquarters to discuss the planned nationwide June 12 protest which the latter is said to be coordinating in the state.

After discussions, Mr Jalingo was reportedly referred to another officer who informed him that the police had received a petition which accused him of being an arms dealer.

“There was a petition against him that he is a member of drug dealers, so we called him to question him,” the police spokesperson in Cross River State, Irene Ugbo told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday.

“He is still writing his stuff (response to the petition). When he finishes we’ll let him go if we find him not wanting,” she added.

Mr Jalingo was accompanied to the police headquarters by Jonathan Ugbal, the news editor of Cross River Watch.

In 2019, Jalingo, spent 179 days in detention when he was arrested and charged with treason for publishing a story on how Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, allegedly approved and diverted N500m meant for Cross River State Microfinance Bank, on August 22, 2019.