MAY 2, 2005
Updated: May 26, 2005
Omo-Ojo Orobosa, Midwest Herald
LEGAL ACTION, IMPRISONED
Omo-Ojo Orobosa, publisher of the weekly Midwest Herald, was imprisoned for more than two weeks and accused of sedition after his publication accused First Lady Stella Obasanjo of corruption. His lawyer, Festus Keyamo, told CPJ that Orobosa was arrested at the newspaper’s Lagos office and taken to the capital, Abuja. The lawyer said he rushed to the scene of the arrest and confronted police, who said they were acting on the first lady’s orders.
An article last week headlined “Greedy Stella” alleged that the first lady was involved in selling government houses to her relatives at below-market prices, Keyamo said. Two other people involved in circulating and advertising the Midwest Herald were also detained, Keyamo said. The Midwest Herald circulates mainly in southern Nigerian states that include the first lady’s home region.
Orobosa was released from detention on May 20. Keyamo told Agence France-Presse that his release was unconditional.