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NHRC, AC Condemn
Government’s Infringements on Press Freedom
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and one of Nigeria’s
opposition political parties, the Action Congress (AC) rose to condemn
the recent spate of attacks on media workers in Nigeria saying they
infringe on the freedom of expression, the rule of law and that they
attempt to stifle the media in its constitutional roles.
The NHRC, in a statement by Mr. Lambert Oparah, its Chief Public Affairs
Officer, called on government agencies and agents to be mindful of the
fact that Nigeria is a democratic state where there is freedom to hold
opinion, receive and impact ideas and information without interference
saying it viewed the attacks on the media as calculated attempts to stop
it from informing, educating and enlightening the public on the actual
business of government.
It cited recent incidents of attack on the media including the
manhandling of Mr. Charles Edet, Editor-In-Chief of the Abuja-based
Newspaper ‘National Detective’ by the officials of the Abuja
Environmental Protection Board; the arrest and molestation of Fresh Fact
newspaper's staff, including the detention and arraignment of its
Editor-In-Chief, Mr. Sam Asowata; and the attack on the Editor-in-Chief
of ‘TheNews’ magazine, Mr. Bayo Onanuga by suspected Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) faithful at Ikeja High Court, Lagos.
Recalling these incidents, NHRC noted that: "The office of the Fresh
Fact newspaper based in Abuja was recently besieged and ransacked by
security men, who arrested members of staff of the organisation,
including its Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Sam Asowata, who was subsequently
taken from his base in Abuja to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State by security
operatives acting on the orders of the Akwa Ibom State government.
"Before Asowata's arrest, a newspaper distributor, Mr. Essien Ewoh, was
beaten and stripped by the agents of the Akwa Ibom State government for
selling copies of the Fresh Fact newspaper, which carried a promotion of
the paper's edition yet to be published.
"In Lagos, Editor-In-chief of The News, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, was attacked
at the premises of the Ikeja High Court, Lagos by suspected hoodlums
sympathetic to the Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
who had instituted a legal case against ‘TheNews’ magazine."
The Action Congress (AC) in its reaction said, through its National
Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed: "It is particularly shocking
that the innocent daughter of the Editor of Fresh Fact Newspaper was
reportedly arrested with her father. We wondered whether Nigeria has
returned to the days of the late dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha.
"Whatever grouse the government of Akwa Ibom may have against the
newspaper can be better sorted out in the court of law, instead of the
government using the police to intimidate harass and detain journalists
simply because their paper reported or plans to feature a report which
the government does not like.
AC asked ask the Akwa Ibom State government to “follow due process if it
believes any publication by Fresh Fact newspaper has cast it in bad
light, instead of resorting to self-help, which is totally unacceptable
in a democratic setting as ours."
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