Officers of the Nigerian Army on January 1, 2026, harassed and threatened a reporter from The Guardian newspaper, Mrs. Eniola Daniel, and his counterpart at The Punchnewspaper, Mr. Dayo Oyewo, while they were covering a fire outbreak at a section of army-owned Arena Market in Oshodi, Lagos. During the incident, soldiers seized the camera of a reporter from the African Independent Television (AIT) and prevented other journalists from reporting on the scene.
Also, an officer identified as Gaktong G. J., armed with a cane, threatened journalists covering the fire, claiming they were not invited to the scene and asserting that he had the right to act as he wished. As reporters attempted to explain, he called on other soldiers to remove them, stating that TVC, AIT, and NTA crews had already been sent away and dismissing the presence of the press. Pointing his cane at the journalists, he warned them to leave the area.
