The Defence Headquarters has denied reports that it targeted and confiscated copies of Leadership newspapers (or any other newspapers at all)
Defence Spokesman ,Major General Chris Olukolade in a statement admitted that in fact “Troops this morning embarked on thorough search of vehicles conveying newspapers and newsprints across board.
He said “This followed intelligence report indicating movement of materials with grave security implications across the country using the channel of newsprint related consignments.”
“The Defence Headquarters wishes to clarify that the exercise has nothing to do with content or operation of the media organizations or their personnel as is being wrongly imputed by a section of the press” the spokesman said ,adding, “The military appreciates and indeed respects the role of the media as an indispensable partner in the ongoing counter-insurgency operation and the overall advancement of our country’s democratic credentials. As such, the military will not deliberately and without cause, infringe on the freedom of the press.”
Olukolade assured the general public and the affected media organizations in particular “that the exercise was a routine security action and should not be misconstrued for any other motive.”
But the newspaper publishers said their papers were confiscated earlier in the day in curious circumstances. The management of Media Trust Limited (publishers of Daily Trust) said in a statement published on their website “Armed soldiers this morning confiscated copies of today’s edition of DAILY TRUST across the country and disrupted the distribution of the paper in major cities including Abuja, Kano, Maiduguri and Port Harcourt,” the statement said.
“The soldiers, who claimed they were acting on superior order, mounted roadblocks along the major highways through which the newspaper is distributed and intercepted the delivery van. They also mounted road roadblocks around our offices in Abuja and Kano,” it added.
The management “recalled that DAILY TRUST had published an exclusive lead story on Wednesday on the sharing of an Abuja barrack plots to Army generals and their spouses for personal use.”(With reports from DailyTrust.com.ng)
