Nigerian Newspaper Houses Under Siege – Soldiers Seize Copies of The Nation Newspapers & Others

What’s going on? Isn’t there freedom of journalism anymore? Is there a story in today’s papers someone in ‘high authority’ is trying to stop from getting out?
Barely hours after Leadership Newspapers complained of attacks by soldiers who attempted to stop the circulation of its papers earlier today – The Nation Newspaper has become the next target …

Soldiers on Friday morning impounded several vehicles conveying The Nation Newspapers to various stations in the South-south and other parts of the country.


A van conveying the day’s newspapers to Warri and Benin City was seized by soldiers of the 3 Battalion of the Nigerian Army at Okwuokoko, Delta State.
Similarly, a detachment of troops stormed The Nation’s circulation depot located on Effurun, Sapele in search of the newspapers and the company’s staff.

A source at the Effurun Barracks told our reporter that the troops were acting on “orders from above.”
It was further learnt that troops also invaded the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Benin in a similar mission to seize Friday’s edition of the paper.
Our correspondent in Benin, Mr. Ben Ogbemudia, said, “as I text you they have laid ambush in Benin waiting for the company’s newspapers.”


In similar style, Leadership Newspaper earlier today complained of an attack from security operatives.
“In what appears a throwback to Nigeria’s dark days of military dictatorship, some soldiers who reportedly claimed they were acting on orders from above have confiscated today’s edition of Leadership Newspaper heading to the Northwest, Southeast and Southsouth regions of the country.
“Azubike Ishiekwene, managing director of the Leadership Group, said soldiers mounting a roadblock close to the tollgate along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway blocked the newspaper’s van heading to Kaduna and confiscated the entire consignment of the paper.
“The driver of the vehicle as well as another staff were also detained, with their telephones seized, Mr. Ishiekwene said.
Another consignment of the paper being flown to states in the Southeast were also confiscated by authorities at the Abuja airport.”