Newspaper vendors threaten shutdown in Rivers over police harassment

A newspaper vendor uses rocks to stop the day’s front pages from blowing in the wind, at a newspaper stand in Kano, in northern Nigeria Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019. Vote counting continued Sunday as Nigerians awaited the outcome of a presidential poll seen as a tight race between the president and a former vice president. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Victor Edozie, Port Harcourt

Sat, 1 May 2021 15:41:48 WAT

Newspaper vendors in Rivers have threatened to stop distributing newspapers statewide in response to harassment, intimidation and illegal arrest of vendors by police.

The Newspaper Distributors Association of Nigeria (NDAN) said police have in recent days arrested vendors and impounded volumes of papers meant for distribution.

It says vendors will stop distributing papers from May 4 if the intimidation and illegal arrests continues.

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NDAN chairman in Rivers, John Nwizugbee, and secretary, Imoh Micah issued a statement saying vendors were afraid to go out into the streets for fear of being molested or arrested.

“NDAN maintained that vendors are law-abiding and will not want to go against any government directives. We don’t have knowledge of any official statement from either the government or police authorities prohibiting vendors from operating in the state,” he stated.

It has called on newspaper companies to stop sending their papers to vendors in Rivers from Tuesday May 4, if police arrests continue.

Rivers police authorities are yet to comment on vendors’ stance.

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