|
State Security Agents Raid Newsstands, Seize Publications, Arrest
Vendor
On 10 February 2005, agents of the State
Security Service (SSS), Nigeria's intelligence agency, raided newsstands
on Old Market Road, Onitsha in Anambra State, the main distribution centre
for city, and confiscated large quantities of "The News", "The Source" and
"The Week" magazines as well as copies of "Hallmark" newspaper. They also
arrested a newspaper distributor, Mr. Ikechukwu Obisi, whom they took to
unknown destination. The SSS officials from Awka, the State capital, took
the action on the ground that the news vendors were distributing
publications carrying stories about the Movement for the Actualization of
Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).
The action of the security agents resulted
in a demonstration at the weekend by members of Newspapers Distributors
and Agents Association who took to the streets in Onitsha to protest the
confiscation of the magazines and newspapers, and the arrest of their
member. The newspaper vendors refused to distribute newspapers in protest
over the "incessant arrest, intimidation and extortion of their members by
men of the State Security Service (SSS), in Anambra State".
They carried placards with various
inscriptions, including: "SSS, allow us to carry out our legitimate
business", "SSS, we are not publishers of newspapers and magazines, we
sell, so leave us alone", "SSS, stop intimidation, arrest and extortion of
our members," "when did selling of newspapers and magazines become an
offence in Nigeria?"
A lawyer to the newspaper distributions,
Mr. Obele Chuka Obele, has also petitioned the Director of SSS in Awka to
protest the action of the security agents. In the petition, Mr. Obele
said: "It was painful that apart from constituting an utter gross
violation of the right of the distributors, . an arm of the National
Security Agencies which has no power under the National Security Agencies
Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 to detain Mr. Obisi or seize
his properties, has suddenly acquired the toga of its processor, the
notorious and dreaded National Security Organisation, NSO". He added
that: "We do not want to believe that our land is about to witness a
resurgence of the Abacha-era security service activities when law abiding
citizens were harassed and hounded into unlawful custody."
|
