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IPC condemns Nigeria's action against newspapers
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-18 16:58 LAGOS -- The International Press Centre (IPC) based in Lagos has condemned the invasion and seizure of the computers of the newspaper Leadership by Nigeria's security agents. In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, the IPC said it received with "shock, the news of the invasion of the premises of the Leadership newspapers in Abuja and the seizure of working equipment including computers by State Security agents." After detention of four Editors of Leadership newspapers by Nigeria's State Security Service (SSS) last week, policemen from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) on Monday stormed the head office of the company and carted away a set of computers on the Daily Editor's desk, the Nation newspaper reported Tuesday. The move came after a story the Leadership published in a recent Saturday edition about an alleged deterioration of the Nigerian President's health. Deputy Editor (News) Iyobosa Uwugiaren confirmed that during the the raid the police also invited Foreign Correspondent Ima Iffer for questioning. The IPC said in a statement by its Co-ordinator Lanre Arogundade "Those still being detained are Emma Bello (Editor, Leadership on Sunday), Lara Olugbemi (Editor, Leadership Weekend), Ima Iffer, (Foreign Correspondent) and Abdulrazaq Bello-Barkindo ( Executive Editor). "IPC strongly condemns the sustained clampdown on the newspaper despite the fact that President Yar'Adua has publicly indicated that he would be seeking legal redress over the story, which he considered untrue and defamatory," the statement said. Indeed, apart from the law courts, there are other appropriate regulatory bodies like the Nigeria Press Council (NPC) to which a matter like this could be referred, it said. "IPC demands the unconditional lifting of the siege on the newspaper starting with the immediate release of the detained editors and the return of all seized equipment," IPC added. |
