New York, January 11, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the Nigerian government’s apparent crackdown on critical reporting, as security service agents reporting directly to the president engaged in the second newspaper raid in as many days. State Security Service (SSS) officials were holding Dan Akpovwa, publisher of the private weekly Abuja Inquirer, incommunicado late…
New York, January 10, 2007—An article raising critical questions about Nigeria’s ruling party led state security agents to raid the offices of an Abuja daily, seize documents, and detain the story’s author, a newspaper executive told the Committee to Protect Journalists today. State Security Service (SSS) officials were still holding reporter Danladi Ndayebo, a reporter…
New York, December 26, 2006-The Committee to Protect Journalists mourns the December 22 killing of veteran Nigerian journalist Godwin Agbroko in the commercial city of Lagos. Agbroko, editorial board chairman of the private daily ThisDay, was found shot to death in his car, according to local and international media reports. Three police officers and two…
New York, October 12, 2006—An Abuja court on Tuesday dropped sedition charges against Mike Gbenga Aruleba, a presenter at African Independent Television (AIT), but retained similar charges against Rotimi Durojaiye of the Daily Independent newspaper in connection with a story questioning the age and cost of the presidential jet, according to news reports and local…
New York, August 25, 2006—Two journalists imprisoned in Nigeria’s southeastern Ebonyi state since June 14 for an article criticizing the state governor were released on bail today. Imo Eze and Oluwole Elenyinmi, respectively director and editor of the local bimonthly Ebonyi Voice, were freed following local and international pressure on the governor, Eze told CPJ…
New York, August 14, 2006—Two journalists have been imprisoned in Nigeria’s southeastern Ebonyi state since June 14 on charges of sedition linked to an article criticizing the state governor, the Committee to Protect Journalists has confirmed. Imo Eze and Oluwole Elenyinmi, respectively director and editor of the local bimonthly Ebonyi Voice, have remained in detention…
Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists urges you as chairman of the African Union to discuss with your fellow heads of state and government at your summit in the Gambian capital, Banjul, from July 1, the need to defend press freedom on the continent.
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…
New York, June 27, 2006—Two journalists charged with sedition over a story about President Olusegun Obasanjo’s new jet pled not guilty in court today. Mike Gbenga Aruleba, a presenter at leading private television station African Independent Television (AIT), and Rotimi Durojaiye, a senior correspondent for the Daily Independent newspaper, appeared in court in the capital,…