By Danlami Nmodu
The clampdown on newspapers by soldiers in Nigeria which began on Friday continued on Saturday.Some of the affected newspapers include Leadership,DailyTrust and The Nation among others.
Leadership reported on its website that its papers were confiscated in Kaduna on Saturday.”Again, Soldiers in Kaduna on Saturday confiscated copies of LEADERSHIP Newspapers meant for the North”, the paper said.
There were also reports that vendors could not distribute newspapers from Area 1 in Abuja as soldiers stormed the place.Vendors had to seek alternative ways out.
It was also reported that some other newspapers were also confiscated from some cities across the country on Saturday.
On Friday,Daily Trust said “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,” Trust’s management said in its statement.
Defence Spokesman ,Major General Chris Olukolade defended the confiscation of newspapers as an act influenced by intelligence reports. “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”,Olukolade said.
But the fact that the clampdown has continued despite the outcry against it will continue to raise questions.
