UPDATE
January 12, 2007
Original Alert: January 11, 2007
Sode Abbah, Abuja Inquirer
IMPRISONED
Dan Akpovwa, Abuja Inquirer
HARASSED
Abbah, editor of the private Abuja weekly, was released without charge after more than 48 hours of detention at the offices of the State Security Service (SSS), according to local journalists. He was questioned about his sources for a story asserting a possible military coup due to political tensions in President Olusegun Obasanjo’s ruling party.
Publisher Akpovwa was released without charge after nearly 36 hours of detention, Akpovwa later told CPJ. Officials pressed him over the sources of funding of the paper, he said.
Both journalists were ordered to report to the SSS offices every Monday and to avail themselves to questioning at any time. Akpovwa and Abbah were arrested after the SSS raided their paper’s offices, seizing documents and equipment. None of the documents or equipment was returned.
For more information on this case, see CPJ’s January 11 alert.