Nigeria Police Arrest Six Journalists

13 Oct 2011 08:56 Africa/Lagos


Nigeria police arrest six journalists

NEW YORK, October 13, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Police in Nigeria arrested six journalists and one staff member from independent daily The Nation on Tuesday concerning the publication of a purported private letter from former head of state Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan about administrators of government agencies, local journalists reported.

On the front page of its October 4 edition, The Nation published a letter, allegedly written by Obasanjo, that recommended Jonathan replace five CEOs of several government agencies, news reports said. Obasanjo filed a complaint last week, accusing the newspaper of publishing the letter with a forgery of his signature, Olusola Amore, the national police spokesman, told CPJ. The Nation, widely perceived as an opposition paper, said in a statement that they stand by their story and the letter's authenticity.

On Tuesday afternoon, detectives raided The Nation offices in the commercial city of Lagos and the capital, Abuja, and arrested four editors after failing to find the publication's senior leaders, General Editor Kunle Fagbemi told CPJ. Later that day, police arrested two reporters and the newspaper's chief of security who had accompanied the editors to the Central Police Station in Lagos. None of the journalists have been charged yet.

"While we do not know if the letter was forged, we note that forgery is merely a civil offense in Nigeria. There is no reason for the former president to exert such pressure on the police to intimidate and silence journalists," said CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed Keita. "Authorities should release the journalists immediately."

The journalists-Deputy Editor Lawal Ogienagbon, News Editor Dapo Olufade, reporters John Unachukwu and Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu from the Lagos office, and Bureau Chief Yomi Odungu and Managing Editor Yusuf Ali from the Abuja office-are expected to be in court tomorrow, Amore told CPJ.

Prior to the arrests, Abuja police had requested a Nation editor, Gbenga Omotoso, reveal the source of the letter, news reports said. The paper's lawyer, Femi Falana, told police the journalist was traveling abroad and would present himself in Abuja upon his return.

"These arrests scar the country's recent positive track record of supporting press freedom," said Keita. In July, Nigeria passed a long-awaited Freedom of Information Act.


Source: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)


Top Headlines of the Day

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
13 Oct 2011
08:56 Nigeria police arrest six journalists
08:00 Brightstar Continues Expansion into Africa through Multi-Service Agreement with MTN South Africa
05:55 Six Journalists from Nigeria's ‘The Nation' Arrested / IPI ‘Appalled'; Calls for Immediate Release
12 Oct 2011
06:09 US$4Billion Reasons to get Excited this World Sight Day
11 Oct 2011
16:16 Subsea Tieback Forum and Exhibition to Showcase Sold-Out Exhibit Hall Floor
Salaries & Job Satisfaction Hold Steady, According Light Reading's Second Annual Salary Survey

Deloitte CFO Signals(TM) Survey: CFO Optimism Plummets as Global Economic Woes Persist

Hybrid Retrofit Market in U.S. Will Approach Half Million Total Units by 2020

J. C. Penney Company, Inc. Accelerates Its Option to Acquire Liz Claiborne Brands From Liz Claiborne Inc.

Commodity Markets Weighed Down By Ongoing Uncertainty Over the European Debt Crisis and Weakening Financial Markets

KPMG's Nationwide 9/11 Community Service Campaign for More Than 225 Non-Profits Captured in YouTube Video

Poor Roaming Services Affecting the Middle East BlackBerry Network

Occupy Wall Street






Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Addax Petroleum Announces Federal Government Approval of Nigeria Gas Utilisation Initiative

Terrorist Attacks on America Before Osama Bin Laden Was Born : 1920 -2005.