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Nigeria: Police Raid Newspaper Seeking Arrest of 15 Editors
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Media Rights Agenda (Lagos)
PRESS RELEASE
7 May 2008
Posted to the web 8 May 2008
On 6 May 2008, about a dozen armed, plain-clothed policemen from the Niger State Command (in north-central Nigeria) raided the head office of "Leadership" newspaper in Abuja, Nigeria's Federal Capital, and arrested the newspaper's deputy editor, Danladi Ndayebo, over a feature article published by the paper.
The newspaper's editor, Prince Charles Dickson, told MRA that the policemen came with a list of 15 senior editorial staff of the newspaper whom they wanted to arrest, claiming that they were wanted in Minna, the Niger State capital, to answer to charges of criminal defamation filed against them at a magistrate's court in Minna. Dickson said, however, that the policemen had no court order authorizing an arrest, nor any warrant of arrest issued by police authorities; they claimed to be acting on the orders of the state police commissioner.
The policemen first, forcefully detained Abraham Nda-Isaiah, the newspaper's executive director, in his office for over two hours, despite pleas by the newspaper's legal adviser. They then threatened to take everyone in the office to the Abuja police station and thence to Minna.
Nda-Isaiah told journalists later that "the policemen came here fully armed, saying they are from the Niger State Police Command and that they are looking for one Mr. Abraham, that they want to take him to Minna to answer some questions over the defamation of character of one Senator Isa Mohammed."
Nda-Isaiah said he reminded them that the principle of the rule of law is that if anyone feels that his character has been defamed by the newspaper, the option open to that person is to take the newspaper to court so that "we meet in court and sort out the grievances, but not to take me to Minna".
Although Nda-Isaiah did not go with them, they took Ndayebo, who was the most senior journalist present at the time, with them to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command.
Ndayebo was detained for six hours and questioned by the policemen, who wanted to know the source of the information in the article. The policemen threatened to retain Ndayebo until the newspaper's former political editor, Saidu Usman Sarki, who is reported to have written the feature article, could take Ndayebo's place in jail.
However, Ndayebo was released about six hours after his arrest and told to ask Sarki to report to the police. The policemen are said to be continuing their hunt for Sarki.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Send appeals to authorities
- calling for an end to the harassment of "Leadership" newspaper staff
- asking the police not to allow themselves to used by politicians in a civil matter nor to unleash terror on journalists
APPEALS TO:
Mr. Mike Okiro
Inspector General of Police
Force Headquarters
Loius Edet House, Shehu Shagari Way
Area 11 Garki, Abuja, Nigeria
Tel: +234 9 2340633 / 2340422
Fax: +234 9 2340422
Mr. John Odey
Hon. Minister for Information and National Orientation
Federal Ministry of Information Radio House
Abuja, Nigeria
Tel: +234 9 234 6350
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Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
There is no need to appeal or protest to anybody on this issue.The legal system in Nigeria is more advanced than the way the Leadership Newspaper is portraying it.Go to the High court and ask for an order that will refrain the police from harassing your staff qand ask for huge damages ( about N500 million)for the arrest and detention and add Senator Isa Mohammed .They will stop, trust me, I did it in Nigeria.
I don't know why Nigeria's police are doing like animal.They would flow rules and regulation.All I will tell you is that the management should made arrangement to visit them and know what is on.If you are at fault pls try to settle with them but if they are at fault pls! pls!! pls!!! don't take it easy them. Thank you.
Nigerian senators who make the law but don't want to abide by them, should be sacked from government. It is an act of vandalizing both the rules of law and democracy for a senator to order an arrest of a citizen for making free speech. African leaders are a disgrace when it comes to folowing rules of law. The police commissioner has behaved in manner unbecoming of a senior officer that should know what due process is. How can the newsppaper that is the eyes and ears of the masses do their work under this oppressive state of mind? In... [Read Full Text]
You really need no comment from us, considering you have a union, with whatever name you call it,and a court, for whatever case you've got. Anyway, I might hope the police would know their job, and the needs of the changing times, that we are under no miltry dictatorship to warrant such high handedness. Hoping this issue is not dragged, yours.
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