– We Are Only Aware Of Ihezuo, AG’s Threats To Clamp Down On Watchdog Newspaper With Police, DSS
– Purported Legal Action, Not To Our Knowledge- Management
The management of Spectacular Publishing Company Ltd, publishers of the Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper has said that it is not aware that the member, representing Orlu State Constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly Ikenna Ihezuo, has dragged the media outfit to court in respect of a publication captioned, “Lawmaker, Ihezuo in another marriage scandal as wife seeks custody of children…..” which appeared on the front page of Watchdog newspaper’s Thursday, May, 1.edition.
Responding to a report on the front page of Lead Express Newspaper edition of Monday, May, 5, 2025, captioned,“Orlu lawmaker drags Watchdog Newspaper to Court over publication,Cautions Media Houses On Accurate Reportage” the Editor of Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper, Sir Bonny Ajuogu KSJI, said, “we are not aware that Hon Ikenna Ihezuo instituted any legal action against Nigeria Watchdog newspaper in respect of the report we published about his alleged marriage fraud. We read about it in the newspaper like any other person. Hence, as far as we are concerned, it is a mere rumour that lacks substance at least for now. Maybe, he is yet to initiate the legal action.
He described Ihezuo’s statement that the Publisher of Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper, Comrade Precious Nwadike, who is also Chairman of the Nigeri Union of Journalists, Imo State Council is after him because he defeated him in the 2023 election as false, diversionary and misleading, adding that, “we are in possession of court document that contains the facts we published”.
The management of Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper also cautioned Ihezuo and his cohorts to be careful about the way they have continuously threatened to clamp down on the media outfit with the police and the Directorate of State Service (DSS).
Recall that Ikenna Martin Ihezuo’s estranged wife, Mrs Abigail Akachi Ihezuo as the Applicant and Ihezuo as the Respondent in Suit No HOW/FC……/2025 is seeking custody of their two children.
When contacted for comment by our reporter on the subject matter of the suit as stated below, Hon Ihezuo, in his characteristic manner, threw caution to the wind, and behaved in a manner that is not in tandem with his status as a lawmaker, by insulting and casting aspersion on the journalist who called to hear his own side of the story in line with the ethics of journalism.
Ihezuo, who claimed to have practiced journalism for many years before studying law, aside from harassing and calling the journalist all kinds of names also threatened that he wouldl close down Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper if the reporter who called him published anything about his alleged marriage fraud..
Conclusively, he said, “for your information, I don’t have a wife and nobody has the right to claim that she is my wife because, I am not officially married to anybody”
The contents of the court processes seen by this reporter shows some the reliefs sought by th Plaintiff which include, “i. AN ORDER of this Honourable Court granting custody of the children marriage between the Applicant and the Respondent
ii. AN ORDER of this Honourable Court granting custody of (aged 1 year and 9 months)child of the marriage between the Applicant and the Respondent.
iii. AN ORDER of thisHonourable Court granting the Respondent access to the children of the marriage whom the Applicant has or shall have custody over.
iv. AN ORDER of this Honourable Court directing the Respondent to pay the school fees and educational expenses of the children of the marriage in reputable institutions up to graduate and/or postgraduate levels in accordance with their respective aptitudes.
vi. AN ORDER of this Honourable Court directing the Respondent to pay the sum of N500,000(Five Hundred Thousand)on monthly basis to the Applicant to meet the feeding, clothing, and general welfare of the children of the marriage in her custody and up till their attainment of 21 years.
vii.AN ORDER of this Honourable Court directing the Respondent to pay the sum of N500,000(Five Hundred Thousand)on monthly basis to the Applicant for her personal welfare and upkeep until she secures a suitable job to care for herself.
viii. AN ORDER of this Honourable Court sharing the following properties, and/or joint business investments of the parties between the parties to wit, two supermarkets one lying at Owerri and the other at Orlu and the guest house recently established by the parties which is lying and situate at Owerri acquired by the parties herein in the course of their marriage and the following business jointly started and run together by the parties until the Respondent drove the Applicant out.
ix. AN ORDER of this Honourable Court mandating the Respondent to provide as and when needed the funds for the medical care, welfare, school fees, rents and other outgoing expenses of the two children of the marriage.
X. AN ORDER of Perpetual Injunction of this Honourable Court restraining the Respondent from interfering with the Applicant’s custody of the children of the marriage, especially by conveying them overseas without the notice, participation and similar arrangement made by the respondent for the Applicant”.”
The Court processes also read thus, “I, ABIGAIL AKACHI IHEZUO,Female,Christian,Nigerian Citizen of Ugiri- Ibeme autonomous community in Isiala Mbano Local Government of Imo State, Nigeria, do hereby solemnly make oath and state as follows:
That I am the Applicant in this suit by virtue of which I am familiar with the facts and circumstances of this case.
That the Respondent married me customarily on the 29 day of March, 2020,in accordance with the customs and traditions of the people of Ugiri-Ibeme autonomous community in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area, Imo State.
That immediately after the marriage, we started cohabiting. We lived in both the country home at Umuduruaku village,Eziachi autonomous community, Orlu Local Government Area, Imo State and at Plot 141 Housing Area V, New Owerri, Imo State.
That my marriage to the Respondent is blessed with two Children.
Before the commencement of this marriage, I was an employee of Fidelity bank Plc. I worked at the Port Harcourt Road Branch of the bank as a Customer Service and teller officer. About a month or so after the celebration of the marriage, I discovered that I was pregnant with my first child.
Similarly,the Newspaper also stated that it is aware of clandestine effort by the Imo State Accountant General,Linus Okafor to use the instrumentality of the government to clamp down on the media house.The Newspaper averred that the AG is furious over series of report on how Pensioners and Civil servants are being shortchanged under his watch.
