News Report: Two Nigerian News Bloggers Abandon Embattled "Media Partner"

Ude: Publisher Of Pointblanknews

Asiwe: Publisher Of Huhuonline

Two Nigerian news bloggers based in the United States Of America(USA) have abandoned their embattled Nigerian based "Media Partner", Mr. Ikenna Ezenekwe, the Publisher of Ukpakareports.com. The two Nigerian news blogers are Messrs. Jackson Ude, Publisher of Pointblanknews.com and Emmanuel Emeke Asiwe, Publisher of Huhuonline.com.

Mr. Ezenekwe was on Sunday, 13th March, 2011 arrested by operatives of the State Security Service(SSS), Anambra state command at the residence of Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, a member of Nigeria's House Of Representatives representing Anaocha/Njikaoka/Dunukofia federal constituency of Anambra state. Ezenekwe had allegedly gone to Ekwunife's residence to collect the sum of six million naira demanded by him to help remove an embarassing news item about Ekwunife published on Pointblanknews and Huhuonline. The news item was eventually removed.

Checks by chidi opara reports have however revealed that Mr. Ezenekwe's Ukpakareports used to be "Media Partner" of Asiwe's Huhuonline, Huhuonline in turn is "Media Partner" of Pointblanknews which is a "Media Partner" of Sharareporters. A publisher whose online medium is "Media Partner" of both Saharareporters and Pointblanknews told a chidi opara reports network member that "Media Partner" entails among other things that you can negotiate "deals" on behalf of your "Media Partner".

A contact close to the incarcerated publisher informed us that "this is not the first deal Ikenna did with Huhuonline and Pointblanknews, why this one went wrong is what I don't know".

Mr. Ikenna Ezenekwe allegedly demanded the sum of six million naira to help Mrs. Ekwunife to remove the embarrassing news item from Huhuonline and Pointblanknews. The Ukpakareports publisher was reportedly making progress with the other publishers who only backed out when information got to them from their contacts in SSS that Mrs. Ekwunife had petitioned the agency about the "deal". The petition according to an SSS insider was unknown to Ezenekwe who continued to pressure the other publishers for a compromise.

chidi opara reports have been reliably informed that the SSS  is insisting that Huhuonline and Pointblanknews should "cooperate" and also enlist the "cooperation" of Saharareporters as a way of proving their innocence. The arrest of Ezenekwe which took place on Sunday 13th March, 2011 was published on Saharareporters, Huhuonline and Pointblanknews on Wednesday 16th March, 2011.

Requests for comments sent to the Publishers of Huhuonline and Saharareporters have not been responded to. The Publisher of Pointblanknews in his response said:

"Dear Chidi Opara Reports
Please note and for the records too that at no time did Pointblanknews.com hired or contacted Mr. Ezenekwe to negotiate any deals with Pointblanknews.com. We dont do deals at pointblanknews.com. Mr. Ezenekwe had called us saying Hon Ekwunife is his sister, a relation and that he would appreciate if we take down the video and the story we had published. He was told in clear terms we do not take down stories. He called again to say "I will pay anything, the woman is my family, I swear. The story is
affecting the family." We told him we cannot take down the story and besides it was about 1:00am on Saturday, our webmaster do not work at that time.

Ikenna called repeatedly and we refused his calls. He then sent a text that read "How much," at about 1:57am. Our reply to him was "Never have we asked you to take down stories for us. Pls dont insult us, we dont take money."

The last we heard about Ikenna was on Saturday afternoon when Huhuonline called us to say Ikenna was offering money for the stories to be removed and our response to Huhuonline was "pls tell him we are not interested, count us out of his deals." Huhuonline said "okay okay okay." Ikenna's phone calls to us on the early hours of Saturday was the fourth time we ever had any contact with him over the phone since 2007 when Pointblanknews.com was established. We have never met before and have no
business relations. We only extended to him the courtesy of a Journalist we thought he was until we started hearing and noticing his unprofessional conduct.

Also, we have no contact with the SSS and have no "deal" with them. We operate purely as Professionals with high intergrity. Our incomes from pointblanknews.com are purely from Advertisers as can be seen by all. And not "deals to take down stories."

Thanks.

Pointblanknews.com Management."

News Release: MEND Claims Responsibility In Bombing Of Agip Flow Station

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) hereby confirm that the attack on the Agip Clough Creek oil Flow station in the late hours of Tuesday the 15^th of March 2011 was carried out by our fighters.

This attack is to mark the start of our promised campaign against the Nigerian oil industry. This attack and similar attacks on pipelines and flows stations which will take place within the next few days is a reminder to the Nigerian government and the general public not to take our threats for granted.

Again, we reiterate our desire to avoid any civilian casualties and again strongly warn the general public to steer clear of any political gatherings or meetings of any sort as the worst is yet to come.

The fight for the liberation of the Niger Delta has only begun.

Jomo Gbomo