OCTOBER 24, 2005 Posted: December 8, 2005 African Independent Television RayPower FM CENSORED Nigerian authorities ordered the country’s leading independent broadcast network off the air, in part because the network’s reports on the October 22 Bellview Airlines crash included details that had not been officially released. Daar Communications group’s African Independent Television (AIT) and its…
New York, October 24, 2005—Nigerian authorities ordered the country’s leading independent broadcast network off the air today, in part because the network’s reports on Saturday’s deadly Bellview Airlines crash included details that had not been officially released. Daar Communications group’s African Independent Television (AIT) and its radio network, RayPower FM, complied with the order but…
New York, October 13, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the arrest of a newspaper publisher by Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS). Owei Kobina Sikpi, publisher of the tabloid Weekly Star in the southern city of Port Harcourt, has been held without charge since Tuesday, the paper’s editor, Obinna Ahiaidu told CPJ. He…
OCTOBER 11, 2005 Posted October 17, 2005 Owei Kobina Sikpi, Weekly Star IMPRISONED Sikpi, publisher of the tabloid Weekly Star, was arrested by Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) in the southern city of Port Harcourt, and held without charge, the paper’s editor, Obinna Ahiaidu told CPJ. He said the arrest was over an article that…
New York, August 26, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed outrage at a raid by the State Security Service (SSS) on the Lagos-based weekly The Exclusive. Fourteen SSS agents raided the tabloid’s offices on August 19 and confiscated over 200 copies of its latest edition. They also detained and harassed vendors of the newspaper, local…
JUNE 30, 2005 Posted: July 7, 2005 Haruna Acheneje, The Punch HARASSED State Security Service (SSS) agents arrested Acheneje, a correspondent in Nigeria’s southern Akwa Ibom State for the independent daily The Punch, at his office. The agents detained and questioned Acheneje for about eight hours before releasing him without charge.
New York, June 24, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the actions of police in Nigeria’s central Kogi State, where officers have occupied the local chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, harassed local journalists, and detained the local union chairman, according to local journalists and the Lagos-based press freedom group Media Rights…
JUNE 20, 2005 Posted: June 30, 2005 Nigerian Union of Journalists Segun Omolehin, Nigerian Union of Journalists Wole Ayodele, VanguardIsiaka Oyibo, The Daily Times HARASSED Police officers in Nigeria’s central Kogi State occupied the local chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), harassed local journalists, and detained the local union chairman, according to local…
New York, May 5, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned this week’s arrest of a newspaper publisher, who was charged with criminal libel after his publication accused First Lady Stella Obasanjo of corruption. Omo-Ojo Orobosa, publisher of the weekly Midwest Herald, has been held since Monday, his lawyer, Festus Keyamo, told CPJ. Orobosa was…