The Coalition for Whistleblowers Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF) has condemned the military invasion of Daily Trust Newspaper offices in Nigeria and demanded the immediate release of arrested editorial staff.
In a statement on Monday by the coalition, it called on the authorities to respect the rule of law and desist from attempts to muzzle the press from performing its constitutionally guaranteed function.
It will be recalled that armed soldiers on Sunday invaded Daily Trust regional office in Maiduguri, Borno state and arrested the regional editor, Uthman Abubakar and a reporter, Ibrahim Sawab.
Also, a group of armed soldiers in seven trucks laid siege at the newspaper’s headquarter office in Abuja and carted away computer systems after forcefully stopping the daily’s production for five hour. Similar siege was also recorded on its Lagos office though no one was arrested there.
The coalition noted that the military siege on the newspaper is the latest in over 200 reported cases of attacks and harassment of journalists in 2018 as recorded by the Press Attack Tracker.
“CWPPF labels these attacks a major threat to democracy, freedom of the press and individual liberties of journalists and other media professionals especially as the 2019 general elections is only 40 days away.
“The action of the military is also a threat to democracy with the presidential elections, in less than 40 days. This gives a negative connotation of the government on freedom of the press and how it is been neglected.
“The military is bound by the laws of the land and cannot in any circumstance be allowed to resort to extrajudicial measures no matter the offence.
“Thus, CWPPF demands the immediate release of Uthman Abubakar and Abdullahi Sawab,” the statement read partly.
