By Ovie Okpare
Following the collapse of a section of the indoor sports complex of the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta State, which is under construction, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s younger brother and President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Mr. Tonobok Okowa, has been caught on video raining curses on journalists who reported the unfortunate incident.
In the video exclusively obtained by NIGER DELTA TODAY, Tonobok was heard saying he seized several phones of those capturing the moment the building collapsed.
Tonobok Okowa, who was caught on unaware by our eagle camera, said journalists who reported the incident and their family will die before the December 2022 ending.
Seemingly furious Okowa was speaking in the company of other top government officials including media managers of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
Reacting to reports claiming there was casualty in the collapse, AFN president said, “we seized so many phones here. How can somebody lie that people died…it’s false. They talk of about death, death will follow them and their families. In fact, this December, they will lose their family members.”
Recall that a section of the indoor sports complex which is undergoing construction and billed to host 21st National Sports Festival (NSF) from November 28, collapsed November 10.
Reports have claimed no fewer than three people were feared dead, a figure, the state commissioner for information, Charles Aniagwu, immediately dismissed.
Anaigwu, while making clarification on the incident, said only one person was sustained injury in the incident and no one was dead.
A team of journalists including Paul Osuyi of the Sun, Monday Osayande of Guardian and Amaechi Okwara of Blueprint who went to access the level of damage were bundled out of the stadium on the orders of the chairman, Delta State Sports Commission, Tonobok Okowa.
Mr Okowa, who doubles as Co-Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the festival tagged Asaba 2022, ordered his boys to confiscate the working tools of the journalists.
Handing out the order, Okowa said to take them out of this place, journalists are not needed.”
WATCH EXCLUSIVE VIDEO BELOW:
