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MRA Releases Study Report on Closure of
Media Houses
The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has released a 25-page report
on its study of the closure and proscription of newspapers and magazines
in Nigeria in commemoration of the one year anniversary of the closure of
the Concord Group and the Punch Group of newspapers and magazines by
security agents of the Federal Military government on June 11, 1994. The
report entitled ”Shutting down the Press: The Practice of Newspaper
Closure and Proscription in Nigeria” documents every closure and
proscription of newspapers and magazines in Nigeria’s history since
Brigadier Adeyinka Adebayo, then Military Governor of Western State,
introduced the practice in 1968 by the Sunday
Star and the Imole Owuro (Prohibition) Edict No. 17 of 1968.
The report, published in the maiden issue of the
Media Rights Bulletin shows that in the last eight years, total
of 42 newspapers and magazines published by 17 companies were either shut
down or proscribed, some of them more than once. According to the report,
although the administration of Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (December
31, 1983 to August 27, 1985) initiated attacks on the press in a
systematic manner, it stopped short of closing down or proscribing any
newspaper or magazine. But the Government conferred on itself the power
to prohibit the circulation of newspapers by Section 2(1) of the Public
Officers (Protection Against False Accusation) Decree No. 4 of 1984,
now repealed.
The regime of General Ibrahim Babangida (August 27, 1985 to
August 26, 1993) has the dubious distinction of having closed down or
proscribed more newspapers and magazines than any other government in
Nigeria’s history. Forty-one newspapers and magazines were victims of
this practice under the administration, some of them closed down or
proscribed on two different occasions. The 20 month old Government of
General Sani Abacha (November 18, 1993 to date) has been responsible for
the proscription of 20 newspapers and magazines published by five
companies in three major newspaper groups. But the Government has banned
publications for longer periods than any other government.
The report notes that forced closure of a press facility or
the proscription of a newspaper or magazine undoubtedly constitutes a
prior restraint on the exercise of the right to free speech as well as
post publication censorship, both of which are generally prohibited by
international human rights instruments. It argues that for any
restriction to be justified, it must fall within one or more of the
permissible grounds stipulated by the instruments and that the burden of
justifying the restriction is that of the government or authority imposing
the limitation. But it said Nigerian military leaders have tended to
impose restrictions on the exercise of free speech, particularly by media
closures and proscriptions, to promote some illegitimate aim such as
suppressing criticisms or punishing perceived opponents.
The report also observes that military leaders have usually
translated criticisms of themselves or their policies to mean attacks on
the security of the entire country personified in themselves adding that
the reason adduced for the closure and proscription do not satisfy the
requirements of international standards.
The MRA calls on the Military Government to immediately
re-open all proscribed media houses and pay the affected organization
adequate compensation to facilitate their resumption of operations.
TIVE DENEDO
Co-ordinator, Campaigns
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