…It’s a threat to Democracy, Freedom of Expression, say NLC, IPC, MRA

…The Media needs to be more Circumspect in Reporting Military Operations, says Spokesperson

Armed soldiers on Sunday invaded the offices of Media Trust Limited, publishers of Daily Trust titles in Abuja, Maiduguri and Lagos ransacking the newsroom, carting away dozens of computers and arresting the newspaper’s regional editor, Mr Uthman Abubakar, and one of its reporters, Ibrahim Sawab in Maiduguri in a move that signal “a fresh threat to freedom of the press,” says Mr Lanre Arogundade, director, International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos in a statement.

But Defence Spokesman, Gen John Agim, explains that the invasion was not to stop the press from doing their job but because the medium published a story that revealed the plans of the military in fighting insurgency.

“I think it is completely unacceptable for any media house to have information about the military plan on the fight against insurgency and publish such plans,” he said in a phone interview with Channels Television on Sunday evening.

Narrating the organisation’s ordeal, Mr Mannir Dan-Ali, its chief executive officer and editor in chief says, “For four hours on Sunday, armed soldiers who came in five vehicles occupied the head office of Media Trust Limited, publishers of the Daily Trust titles sending away journalists and other staff. Before the siege was called off at about 9.30 pm, the soldiers had ransacked the newsroom, carted away dozens of computers and effectively strangulated the production of the Monday edition of the paper.”

“Earlier in the day at about 4 pm, another detachment of soldiers and plain cloth security officials went to the Maiduguri regional office of the company and conducted a search at the end of which they took away the Regional Bureau Chief, Uthman Abubakar and a reporter, Ibrahim Sawab. Neither the company nor the families of the two reporters have heard from them since.”

“A production staff who was taken away from the Abuja head office alongside our computers, was released after a period of detention at the Mogadishu barrack in Abuja.”

In Lagos, military men in seven vehicles also arrived the paper’s offices at Textile Labour House on ACME road, Ogba at about 9 pm.

“We have not been told of the reason for the military operation against this newspaper but suspect it may have to do with the lead story of the Daily Trust on Sunday that dwelt on the military’s effort to retake some towns recently reported to have been lost to insurgents.  Another clue is that during the invasion of our premises both in Maiduguri and in Abuja, the military men were asking for the reporters who wrote the story,” says Dan-Ali.

“Media Trust Limited condemns this unlawful act and calls on the military authorities to release the two reporters arrested in Maiduguri and return the dozens of computers that were taken from our newsroom. We also like to thank our colleagues in the media and all others who have been calling and supporting us in our hour of need. We also appreciate the efforts of some government officials who insist that there is a better way of handling relations with the media,” he says.

The Defence Spokesman, John Agim, explains that the military invaded the offices of the newspaper because it was irked by revelations of a military operation.

According to him, the invasion was not to stop the press from doing their job but because the medium made a publication that revealed the plans of the military in fighting insurgency.

“I think it is completely unacceptable for any media house to have information about the military plan on the fight against insurgency and publish such plans,” he said in a phone interview with Channels Television on Sunday evening.

“Boko Haram terrorists will be informed ahead of time and that also shows that they (DailyTrust) are sympathetic to the insurgents and the intention was just to invite them and let them understand the dangers their action puts on the military.”

“So, the intention is not to stop the press from doing their job. They need to understand that without peace and security in the land, they cannot perform their job. So for everybody who has information, there’s a need to check with the security agencies before they publish such because releasing such information ahead of time can jeopardize the operation”.

The Daily Trust on Sunday lead story titled “Military prepares massive operation to retake Baga, other communities seized by Boko Haram,” written by Hamza Idris and Uthman Abubakar is a focus on the new military offensive after string of losses of vital commands, towns and men to the Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram

According to the report, “all the three arms of the nation’s armed forces, the army, navy and the air force, would be involved in the major offensive to flush out the insurgents from the areas they have captured.”

The report also say, “Boko Haram insurgents have stepped up attacks on military locations in the North-East recently, with an attack in November at Metele claiming the lives of over 20 soldiers. The soldiers were killed when the insurgents overran 157 Battalion in northern Borno. Additional 12 soldiers also lost their lives in separate attacks around that period.”

The soldiers later vacated the Abuja office of the newspaper in apparent obedience of a directive from the Presidency.

According to Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, the development followed an order given by the President. In a statement made by Garba Shehu on Sunday, the Presidency said the military has complied with its order.

The special assistant who made the statement via twitter also noted that the issue between the military and Daily Trust will be resolved via dialogue and not violence.

But the siege to the Daily Trust offices has been widely condemned as an infringement of the freedom of the press.

President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Ayuba Wabba says “the arrest of personnel of Daily Trust and shutdown of its offices portend evil and represents a throwback to the dark days of the military.” “If the military authorities have issues with the newspaper, even if those issues pertain to national security, there are established channels for dealing with them,” he says, noting that “The Daily Trust Group represent some of the best traditions in journalism practice. They are neither associated with sensationalism nor some of the darker side of journalism.”

Mr Arogundade, director IPC said his organisation “considers this development as a fresh threat to freedom of the press as well as the freedom and individual liberties of journalists and other media professionals working in Daily Trust.”

Said he: “The action of the military is also a threat to democracy with the presidential elections, less than two months away,” adding that “The military is bound by the laws of the land and cannot in any circumstance be allowed to resort to extra judicial measures no matter its grievances.”

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) which also condemned the military invasion on the offices of Daily Trust, “called on the Federal Government to take punitive action against the perpetrators in order to end the cycle of abuse of power by military officers.”

While commending President Muhammadu Buhari for his “swift response to the unlawful and unjustifiable action of the military” in directing the soldiers to immediately vacate the premises of the newspaper, MRA’s Programme Director, Mr. Ayode Longe says: “It is imperative that the President takes further action to discourage this sort of highhandedness in future as anything short of punitive action against the perpetrators of the act would amount to encouraging impunity.  We therefore call on the President to demonstrate his commitment to the rule of law and disdain for abuse of power and impunity.”

Saying that it was not enough for the President to ask the military to vacate the newspaper’s premises, Mr. Longe insisted that “whatever offence the newspaper or its reporters may have committed, if indeed they committed any offence, there is a presumption under our Constitution that a person is innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.”

“The military has by its actions judged, condemned and carried out its judgment on the newspaper and its reporters having made itself the accuser and constituted itself into a law court and the judgment enforcer. This is strange in a democracy and does not portray the government as a respecter of the rule of law,” he notes.

MRA also called on the Federal Government to order a thorough investigation into the raid of the newspaper’s premises to identify the perpetrators as well as those who ordered it and prosecute them accordingly.