Lalong Boys Allegedly Assault Radio Presenter
The Oasis Reporters
March 25, 2018
By Moses Gbande
Some thugs suspected to be supporters of Governor Simon Lalong’s second term ambition on Saturday 24th March, 2018 at about 6:25pm stormed Jay101.9FM station to beat up a sports presenter, Mr Mbum Ferdinand.
Our correspondent gathered from reliable sources that soon after Mr Mbum Ferdinand, finished presenting a magazine sports show called “Sports Extra” from 4-6pm some youths led by
the Chairman of Plateau United Supporters Club, Mallam Audu, suspectedly under the orders of the General Manager of Plateau United Football Club, Mr Pius Henwan, invaded the premises of Jay 101.9 FM Jos in a black Honda Accord, and a Peugeot 406 Wagon which was branded with 4+4 and Lalong Boys, assaulted, battered, and abducted Mr Mbum Ferdinand, a Sports Presenter/Journalist with the Radio Station to an unknown destination.
It was gathered that the Station Manager, Mr Mangna Wamyil along with some Management Staff and eyewitnesses reported the abduction at the Motor Traffic Division (MTD) Anglo Jos of the Nigeria Police around 8pm.
“Eventually, our lawyers were able to trace Mbum Ferdinand to the “A” Division of the Nigeria Police Force, where he was bundled to by the thugs, and a complaint of defamation of character and other undetermined allegations were instituted against him by the General Manager of the Football Club.
Mr Mbum Ferdinand, said, “as a journalist I am duty bound to investigate and report”, Mbum Ferdinand said on the programme that a source from the Accounts department of the club confirmed to him that the money the Governor of Plateau State promised the Players when they won the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) last season in which each player was entitled to over a million naira had been redeemed since 18th February, 2018″.
He also reported that it is alleged that the match allowances for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League victory against Etoile Du Sahel in Kano of between N75,000 and N150,000 was not given to the players because they failed to qualify to the next round of the competition after winning the match, noting how negative such actions would impact on morale of the players if found to be true. Notwithstanding, he pledged to continue investigations to ascertain if the allegations were indeed true or not.
Typical of the pattern and style of the programme in view, other analysts took turns to analyse different scenarios that may have led to the allegation or actions.
About 25 minutes after the programme, the thugs invaded the Station with Mallam Audu leading them, and the rest is history as it is commonly said.
However, through the doggedness of the lawyers, he was able to secure his bail before midnight, on the condition that he would produce him on Monday 26th March, 2018 in the morning.
“As a law abiding organization, we are shocked at the actions of the General Manager of Plateau United Football Club, who not being a law enforcement agent, ordered the assault, abduction, kidnap, and arrest of our staff who was merely doing his job as a journalist, by his thugs.
” Certainly, such crass impunity has no place in an enlightened society like ours. Being a Media Outfit that has been in the forefront of supporting Plateau United FC and giving them publicity for free, it is very painful how they have chosen to repay our kindness.
” With the embarrassment and psychological discomfort Pius Henwan has caused Mbum Ferdinand and our establishment, this daring misadventure offers a rare opportunity to all sensible minds to reassess the suitability of such a man to manage a Football Club like Plateau United who are currently the reigning champions of the NPFL.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we are prepared to see this case through to its logical conclusion to forestall future occurrences”.
