LAGOS APRIL 22ND (URHOBOTODAY)-Editor-in-Chief of The SUPREME newspaper, Aruga Joe Omokaro (JP) has raised the alarm, that he has been receiving strange phone calls shortly after publishing a story on the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
The Editor said, “I wish to alert the Federal Government, all security agencies and the general public that my life is in danger as a result of performing my professional responsibility without sentiments.”
According to him, the lead story in the March 15, edition was titled, “EFCC goes after Sanusi.” And there were kickers thus: “Collates data to prosecute him; suspended governor to account for AMCON N4.7trn; spends N1.9bn to airlift currencies; spends N2.176bn as launch for police on duty; deposited N743m in Islamic Corporation of Malaysia.”
Mr Omokaro said, the first caller, a male, used an MTN number to call my MTN line. He called in the afternoon and spoke in Hausa language, pretending not to understand English language. At about 10pm, I called the number and he answered in English language. The following conversation took place: “You called me in the afternoon and you pretended not to understand English.” Strange caller: “You called me first.” And I replied thus: “I never called you, because I don’t know you. Please don’t call my number again ok?” And I hung up the phone. The following day I deleted the number from my phone.
Few days after, another call came to my GLO line. The GLO line is at the back of The SUPREME newspaper as official line. This time it was a female, who spoke and it sounded like Hausa language and pretended that she does not understand English language. The number was not a Nigerian number and it read “Niger” on my phone.
Not oblivious of the previous strange caller who spoke in Hausa language, I responded swiftly in insulting words. At about 5pm she called again speaking in the same strange language. I responded again in the same words. The following morning I tried to return the call but the number did not go through.
I have decided to raise this alarm as a result of another suspicious strange call on Monday to my GLO line.
In our April 11 Edition, our lead story was “Danger: Foreign shipping firms threaten FG” with a kicker thus: “Berate Nigerian judiciary.”
A male voice called and claimed that he wanted to advertise in The SUPREME. He demanded for our company’s account number. But I told him I cannot release the company’s account number until I see the space he wanted to pay for and the material. Based on that, he sent an sms of “vacancy advertisement” for trainee Marketers to work in any West African country. No office address was included, except mobile numbers and they are: 08168603237, 08037331769 and the one he called me with which is 07086536539. Suspicious of being fake, considering the cost of the space he asked for which is N4,200, and for which he demanded for our company’s account number, I was prompted to call one of the numbers. When I called, a different male voice answered. I pretended to be an applicant and demanded for his office address. And he said it is located at Egbeda an outskirt of Lagos. He failed to give details on how to get to the address. He assured of calling back in 30mins but never called again.