Pro-Jonathan forces threaten to “decimate” The Nation Newspapers,Sponsors in leaflets with red marker

January 7, 2014

By Danlami Nmodu
An evidently well-oiled campaign of intimidation and attacks against the media is gaining momentum as Nigeria moves towards 2015 elections.A clear evidence of this is the glossy leaflet printed and circulated discreetly in Abuja against The Nation newspapers.
One of the leaflets obtained by Newsdiaryonline.com was placed on the windscreen of a vehicle at the parking lot of one of the five -star hotels in Abuja Tuesday night.Usually those embarking on adverts for their products often place such leaflets and when this was noticed it was thought to be one of those usual sheets .But the owner of this car was shocked when it turned out this particular leaflet was indeed a campaign bulletin against a news organization .
The glossy leaflet obtained by Newsdiaryonline.com has the title: “Bulletin Public Alert !”,with the picture of a bell in tow.What is particularly worrying is the threat to “decimate The Nation Newspapers and its sponsors”by those behind the leaflets.

It begins:Do you know that:The Nation Newspapers is owned by a former Lagos State governor,Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and arrowhead of the opposition?
The leafleat proceeds to attack The Nation and reporters ,especially the senior journalists .It further accuses “the newspaper’s reporters are now conducting themselves as (false) prophets and seers predicting President Jonathan’s intentions and his administration’s likely position on sensitive issues which they reel out to unsuspecting members of the public as exclusive stories in furtherance of the Newspaper’s mandate to cause mischief, confusion,instability and tension in the polity.”The bulletin urged Nigerians to be circumspect of the newspaper.
But the publishers of the bulletin said darkly, “All well-meaning Nigerians should rise up in defence of peace,unity and stability of our dear country and its fledging(sic) democracy.On our part,we are set to decimate The Nation Newspapers and its sponsors before they dismember us.Beware!Nigeria will survive.”
The bulletin signed off thus: “GEJ Works!” ,with a red marker.
At the weekend,Premium Times,an Abuja based online news medium raised alarm after surviving an attack on its site by yet to be identified elements.