Intelligence Police Quiz Journalists
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The media came under siege in Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital in
North-western Nigeria as men of the State Security Service (SSS),
Nigeria’s intelligence Police on October 15 raided the offices of
different independent media houses. Six journalists were arrested and
ordered to reveal the sources of the stories their mediums published
which alleged extravagant spending by the government of Ali Modu Sheriff
on Ramadan and Umrah..
James Garuba of the Tribune newspaper, Michael Olabode of ThisDay
newspaper and other reporters were arrested, released and asked to
report daily to the agency.
The reports by the dailies, which detailed how the State government
allegedly spent about N1.2 million (about $10 million) to purchase
Ramadan gifts and sponsor pilgrims to Mecca for the lesser hajj (Umrah),
did not go down well with the government.
The reports were refuted by the Secretary to the State government,
commissioner for Local government, and the State Forum of Local
Government councils which claimed, at different press conferences that
the money allegedly spent by government was misquoted and with
mischievous intent.
The journalists who went to the SSS offices accompanied by the Chairman
of the Borno State Correspondent Chapel of the Nigerian Union of
Journalists (NUJ) were asked to reveal the sources of their news
reports. The journalists refused to divulge their sources saying it was
unethical but adding that they stood by the authenticity of their
reports. |
