The publisher of an online news portal, thefactreporters.com, Obong Ndutima has been arrested by the Nigeria Police Force.
Thefactreporters.com hosts local news content and its a publishing website based in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital.
It was learnt that men of the Criminal Investigations Department, (CID) arrested him around the early hours of Monday, 3 December 2018.
The spokesperson for the Police Command in Uyo, DSP Odiko MacDon confirmed the arrest.
Odiko said, Obong Ndutim was arrested in connection with an alleged publishing of fake and damaging stories-cum-blackmailing of a distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Godswill Akpabio.
According to reports, it was gathered that the arrest followed a petition written by Senator Akpabio, alleging that Obong Ndutim’s website published an offensive and libelous story alleging that the senator was involved in money laundering with some Nigerian banks: titled ‘CBN probes Akpabio’s N865b unrecorded despite in three banks.’
The police said the senator had earlier filed a complaint against the accused at the Uyo Police Command weeks back.
“Based on the statement and published story by the accused, we have thus arrested him at his residence on Monday,” a senior police officer said.
Obong is now remanded in police custody, awaiting prosecution in court.
