Newspaper copies seized in southern Akwa Ibom State

JUNE 27, 2006
Posted July 30, 2007

EventsCENSORED

Fifteen armed men stormed the printing plant of the private weekly Events in the capital city of Uyo and seized about 5,000 copies of the newspaper, according to local journalists and news reports. The attack occurred in the morning, just before the distribution and sale of the paper, publisher Jerome Imeime told CPJ.

The men, including two uniformed policemen, arrived in five vehicles, one of which had a government license plate from the southern Akwa Ibom State.

The raid was linked to an article in the paper reporting an alleged criminal indictment against Gov. Godswill Akpabio over previous business transactions in neighboring Abia State, according to the same sources. Local reports said Akpabio denied involvement in the raid.

The paper republished the story the next day without problems, Imeime said.