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LAGOS, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2004:
MRA Condemns Arrest and Detention of
Newspaper Editor
Media Rights Agenda (MRA) today condemned
the arrest since Thursday, September 9 and continued detention of Mr.
Isaac Umunna, an editorial consultant to the “Global Star”, a weekly
newspaper based in Lagos, who is also the general editor of the
London-based “Africa Today” magazine by the State Security Service (SSS).
Umunna was arrested and
detained on September 9 when he honoured a directive by SSS asking him to
report at the Lagos State headquarters of the agency at Shangsha, in the
outskirts of Lagos. This followed an earlier raid by heavily armed
security agents from the SSS on the office of the “Global Star” on the
previous day. Although Umunna was away from the office at the time of the
raid, the security agents arrested, in his place, his wife, Mrs. Hope
Umunna, whom they met there. Mrs. Umunna was released later in the evening
of that day after about four hours in custody, but they instructed her to
tell her husband to report to the SSS office unfailingly by September 9.
Mr. Umunna and his wife
complied with this directive and reported at the SSS office at about
1.00pm on September 9, during which he was arrested and detained.
Despite repeated visits by his lawyer, Mr. Obi Akabogu, to the office of
the SSS on Friday, September 10 and Saturday, September 11, he has been
denied access to him.
Mr. Umunna has not been
told the reason for his arrest and detention by the security agents and
has not been specifically told what story or article the agency is
displeased with. Mrs. Umunna, who has been taking his meals to him at the
SSS office, said he has developed diarrhea, but has not been allowed to
see a doctor.
MRA’s Executive Director, Mr.
Edetaen Ojo, said the organization deplored this latest in the series of
attacks on the media and urged the government to respect the rights of
journalists to practice their profession freely.
He said: “The
intimidation and harassment of journalists violate the right to freedom of
expression guaranteed by Section 39 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as
well as a number of international human rights instruments to which
Nigeria is a signatory, including Article 9 of the African Charter
on Human and People’s Rights, Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights; and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights.”
Mr. Ojo called for the
immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Umunna. Until he is released,
he asked the SSS to respect Mr. Umunna’s rights of access to his lawyers
and doctor.
For further information, please
contact:
Ayode Longe, Programme Officer
Media Rights Agenda
Tel: 234-1-4936033, 234-1-4936034
Fax: 234-1-4930831
E-mail: pubs@mediarightsagenda.org
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