Publisher Alleges Receiving Threats from
Osun State Governor
On August, 15, 2007, Mr. Kola Olabisi, the editor of Osun defender, a
newspaper based in Oshogbo, the Osun State capital in South-west Nigeria
alleged that staff and vendors of the paper were being attacked by
agents of the Osun State government in collaboration with men of the
State Security Service (SSS).
Mr. Olabisi claimed that there had been series of threats to his life
and that of other staff of the newspaper.
He said the paper has been driven underground by he government and
accused the State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and the People
Democratic Party (PDP) of hounding the newspaper for no just cause.
According to him,” information available to us showed that Oyinlola
summoned a security meeting where he explained the alleged incisive
publication of Osun Defender to the Commissioner of Police, Suliamon
Fakai, and SSS Director, Mrs. Mary Onbu”.
“He then enjoined them to see to the clampdown on the paper he described
as ‘anthrax’ at the said meeting”.
Olabisi said the Chairman of the Newspaper Agents and Vendors in the
State, Mohammed Olaiya, was recently arrested and interrogated for being
in possession of hundreds of copies of the paper.
He said similarly, some vendors were arrested by SSS operatives for
displaying the paper.
“Last Thursday, [August 9, 2007] the men of the State Security Service,
also struck. Some vendors selling the paper were arrested and detained
before being released to Olaiya who went to their office to ask for the
reason behind their arrest. They were however, released but thousand
copies of the seized paper were not returned,” he claimed.
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