Nigerian Military Clamps Down On The Press!

Nigeria Chief Of Defense Staff

The Nigerian military which has come under severe criticisms locally and international for failing to contain the Boko Haram insurgency in northern Nigeria, has embarked on what seems like a general clampdown on independent media on Friday as at least, three national newspapers reported that their editions for the day have been confiscated by soldiers in different parts of the country.

Lagos based The Nation Newspapers reported that several vehicles conveying its Friday edition to various stations in the South-south and other parts of the country were seized in transit by soldiers who claimed to be acting on ‘orders from above.’

It was gathered that the soldiers checked if motorists were carrying copies of Friday edition of newspapers.There were reports also that copies of Lagos-based Vanguard newspaper were seized by soldiers.

Also, management of Leadership and Daily Trust Newspapers raised alarm this morning that soldiers have confiscated thousands of copies of the Friday edition of the publications in transit in various parts of the country.

Azubuike Ishiekwene,  managing director of Abuja-based Leadership newspaper said soldiers seized and destroyed thousands of the Friday edition of the newspaper which they confiscated while in transit to various parts of the country this morning.

According to Ishiekewene, vans transporting  Friday edition of Leadership to  northern states like Katsina, Gombe, Kano and Bauchi, were intercepted by soldiers who later went on to  destroy the newspapers. He said the soldiers also confiscated the phones of the drivers of the vehicles.