The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council has announced plans to institute legal action against Mr. Michael Ekamon Bassey, popularly known as “Ekpe,” over allegations of defamation, trespass, and the alleged unlawful arrest and detention of one of its staff members.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja and signed by the Council’s Secretary, Comrade Jide Oyekunle, the union alleged that Bassey, who is neither a member of the NUJ nor an accredited visitor to the Council, had been frequenting the Secretariat while presenting himself as the Supreme Leader of the Supreme Niger Delta Youth Council Worldwide (SNDYCW).
According to the statement, the incident began on Monday, June 29, 2026, when Bassey approached a staff member of the Council, Mr. Ifechukwude Irebonye, for assistance in recovering lost WhatsApp messages on his mobile phone. The Council said Irebonye voluntarily helped restore the messages successfully.
However, the union alleged that the following day, June 30, Bassey reported Irebonye to the Utako Police Station, accusing him of fraudulently transferring more than ₦700,000 from his bank account while handling the phone.
The NUJ FCT Council said Irebonye denied the allegation but was arrested and detained overnight before regaining his freedom on bail the following day following the intervention of the Council Chairman, Comrade Grace Ike.
The statement further claimed that the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), identified as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) John, disclosed that preliminary investigations indicated the disputed bank transactions were carried out earlier on the same day before Bassey visited the NUJ Secretariat for assistance with his phone.
According to the Council, while Irebonye has submitted his bank statement to investigators as requested, Bassey has yet to provide his own bank statement to substantiate the allegations against the staff member.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, said the Council would pursue the matter to its logical conclusion and commence legal proceedings over what she described as the defamation and unlawful detention of its staff member, subject to the outcome of the ongoing police investigation.
She also announced that Bassey had been barred from entering the NUJ FCT Council Secretariat pending the resolution of the matter.
“Ekpe will be sued for defaming and detaining my staff,” Ike said.
