The Nigerian military which has come under severe criticisms locally and international for failing to contain the Boko Haram insurgency in northern Nigeria, has embarked on what seems like a general clampdown on independent media on Friday as at least, three national newspapers reported that their editions for the day have been confiscated by soldiers in different parts of the country.
Lagos based The Nation Newspapers reported that several vehicles conveying its Friday edition to various stations in the South-south and other parts of the country were seized in transit by soldiers who claimed to be acting on ‘orders from above.’
It was gathered that a van conveying the Friday edition of newspapers to Warri and Benin City was seized by soldiers of the 3 Battalion of the Nigerian Army at Okwuokoko, Delta State. It was also gathered that a detachment of troops stormed The Nation’s circulation depot located in Effurun, Sapele in search of the newspapers and the company’s staff. Reports from Benin also indicated that soldiers early on Friday invaded the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Benin waiting to seize Friday’s edition of some newspapers.
It was gathered that the soldiers checked if motorists were carrying copies of Friday edition of newspapers.There were reports also that copies of Lagos-based Vanguard newspaper were seized by soldiers.
Also, management of Leadership and Daily Trust Newspapers raised alarm this morning that soldiers have confiscated thousands of copies of the Friday edition of the publications in transit in various parts of the country.
Azubuike Ishiekwene, managing director of Abuja-based Leadership newspaper said soldiers seized and destroyed thousands of the Friday edition of the newspaper which they confiscated while in transit to various parts of the country this morning.
According to Ishiekewene, vans transporting Friday edition of Leadership to northern states like Katsina, Gombe, Kano and Bauchi, were intercepted by soldiers who later went on to destroy the newspapers. He said the soldiers also confiscated the phones of the drivers of the vehicles.
He added that staff of the newspaper in the south east and south-south also reported that the vans heading to the area with the day’s edition of the newspaper were confiscated.
Also, Mr. Isiaq Ajibola, the managing director of Daily Trust, said copies of the newspaper were seized in Kano and had not been returned at the time of writing.
Ajibola said the soldiers claimed they were looking for bombs being transported by the newspaper’s vans. He added that while other newspapers seized were later released, the soldiers have continued to hold on to copies of Daily Trust.
The reasons for the clampdown on independent media by the military is not known as at the time of filing in this story. Major General Chris Olukolade, spokesperson for Defence Headquarters said he is still investigating the allegations.
But Daily Trust had on Wednesday published a story in which it detailed how some military chiefs shared a land originally intended for building a barracks among themselves and their families. Also, Leadership had on Tuesday reported that 10 generals and five other senior army officers had been court-martialed and found guilty of supplying arms to Boko Haram. The military later denied the story.