***Demands Public Apology, N100Million Compensation
A Nigerian journalist, Tony Christian, has revealed how he was allegedly brutalized and unlawfully detained on the orders of Garba Sharubutu, Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN).
According to Christian, he was reportedly beaten and confined in an ARCN facility while investigating allegations of Sharubutu’s abuse of power and embezzlement amounting to N1.5 billion.
The incident which occurred on February 20, 2025, at the ARCN premises in Mabushi, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory has seen the victim demanding N100 million in compensation.
According to a report by SaharaReporters, on the ill-fated day, Sharubutu organized staff members of his organization to assault the journalist for questioning him about corruption and abuse of power.
Christian was reportedly at the agency to verify whether ARCN was being used as a conduit to siphon constituency projects of federal lawmakers.
Sharubutu was also accused of awarding lucrative contracts to himself through proxy companies. Additionally, he allegedly went on numerous foreign trips, collecting over N1.5 billion in travel allowances.
“In the last four years, he has made more than 300 official trips. He is alleged to have drawn estacode to the tune of N1.5 billion,” Christian alleged.
After posing these questions, the journalist was reportedly forcibly taken into a room, detained, and had his phones and other professional gadgets confiscated.
He narrated that after being released from unlawful custody, he discovered all his electronic devices had been formatted, resulting in the loss of vital documents and data.
As a result, he has demanded N100 million in compensation, according to documents provided by his attorney, Geoffrey Uwadiegwu Oputa.
The document reads in part, “That on the 20th of February 2025 while on official duty to follow up on some issues he (Christian) had exchange words with you when you tried to insult him. That following the altercation you ordered some staff of your organization to beat him, arrest and detain him.
“That on your instruction about seven staff (members) of your organization attacked him and forcefully dragged him into a room where he was locked up.
“While he was detained his phone was forcefully taken away from him and when your staff discovered that they cannot access his phone he was subjected to severe beating and torture, compelling him to reveal the password.
“Thereupon your staff took the phone away and wiped out completely all the messages, most of which were work related in his phone.
“He lost all the numbers saved on the phone, lost all private messages saved on the phone, lost all official messages saved on the phone, lost all subscriptions made as the phone became factory reset and above all lost the incriminating evidence against you: proof of what led to the altercation and his unlawful detention and assault.
“Consequently, our client lost all his contacts and pending business correspondences worth hundreds of millions of Naira. After wiping off the messages saved on his phone you compelled him to write a letter of apology on pain of being further beaten and detained.
“The letter of apology was drafted by you and he was forced to copy it and sign. The beating and detention and fear of being killed as nobody knew his whereabouts made him sign the letter of apology.
“In view of the above our client has instructed us to demand within five days of service of this letter and on or before the end of this month being 28th February, 2025 to write an apology which should be published in three national newspapers for the inhuman assault, false imprisonment, destruction of his work materials and unlawful detention.”
“He also instructed us to demand the sum of N100,000,000.00 (One hundred million Naira) from you for as damages for your action,” the document adds.
Post Views: 7
