Kaduna hotelier threatens journalist over a report on police raids at his hotel; now faces criminal intimidation charges in court

Kaduna hotelier threatens journalist— this is the central allegation in an ongoing court case involving Mr. Victor Balogun, owner of De Jay’s Guest Inn in Ungwan Boro, Kaduna, who has been charged with criminal intimidation after allegedly threatening journalist Mr. Idibia Ude Gabriel.

Also read: Campus journalists face mounting censorship in Nigeria

Balogun was arraigned before the Upper Customary Court in Television Settlement on Monday, August 18, 2025, following a First Information Report (FIR) filed at the Sabon Tasha Divisional Police Headquarters.

The FIR, signed by Inspector Bulus Alamu, alleges that Balogun called Gabriel after a story was published on June 26, 2025, detailing a police raid on several hotels in Kaduna, including his own.

During the call, Balogun allegedly demanded a retraction and threatened Gabriel with consequences if he did not act to “redeem the image” of the hotel.

“He told me I would see what he could do and that he could be dangerous,” Gabriel stated in the FIR.

The report that triggered the threats was titled ‘Kaduna: Security Operatives Raid Hotels, Arrest Dozens of Suspects’, and was widely circulated after other platforms picked it up.

According to Gabriel’s report, a Special Joint Task Force carried out coordinated raids on multiple hotels, arresting individuals suspected of drug abuse, internet fraud, and other criminal activity.

At De Jay’s Guest Inn, operatives allegedly forced entry through a side gate around 8 p.m. and arrested multiple suspects.

Eyewitnesses said that narcotics were recovered, and a guest room of a regular lodger, known only as Jessy, was broken into after he refused entry.