Breaking News: Police Detectives Storm The Nation Office, Arrest Four Editors

FOUR senior editors with the Vintage Press Limited, publishers of The Nation were on Tuesday arrested by security operatives from the Force CID, Alagbon, Lagos.
Nine detectives, led by Mr. Emma Ogolo came in two vehicles (a white-colour Rover Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), marked PFN 357 B and a blue-colour Peugeot 504 Salon car, marked 2413 B).
A statement by the General Editor, Mr. Kunle Fagbemi said, “The Nigeria Police Force, Anti-Human Trafficking Unit” was inscribed on the sides of the SUV.
Three of the detectives entered the premises of the company on 27B, Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Mushin, while the two vehicles parked outside the gate had three men waiting in them.
In each of the waiting vehicles were; an armed policeman, a plain cloth security operative and the driver.
They asked to see the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Victor Ifijeh and the Editor, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso. They were not in the office when the officers called at about 2pm.
The Deputy Editor, Mr. Lawal Ogienagbon, who attended to them, was arrested alongside the News Editor of the newspaper’s weekend titles, Mr. Dapo Olufade. Ogienagbon has been flown to Abuja.
The Managing Editor in charge of Northern Operations, Yusuf Alli, and the Bureau Chief, Mr. Yomi Odunuga, had earlier been picked up at the Abuja office of the newspaper and are being detained at the Force Headquarters.
Olufade was taken after the officers could not find any of the other four senior editors they were looking for, among whom were: the General Editor, Mr. Kunle Fagbemi, Managing Editor, Waheed Odusile, the Deputy Editor, News, Mr. Adesina Adeniyi, and Group Political Editor, Bolade Omonijo.
The company’s lawyer, Mr. John Unachukwu, the Chief Security Officer (CSO), Mr. Jide Adegbenjo and the Labour Correspondent, Mrs. Dupe Olaoye Oshinkolu also went with them. By press time, Olufade and Oshinkolu were still being detained in Lagos.
The police invasion, apparently meant to decapitate the paper’s leadership and disrupt production of the Wednesday edition, paralysed work at the newspaper house for many hours and unsettled staff.
Though the team did not disclose the contents of their Warrant, it is believed that it was not unconnected with the October 4 cover story of The Nation, entitled “Obasanjo’s ‘secret’ letter to Jonathan stirs anger. Ex-President seeks sack of PTDF chief, four others.”
The former President had in a chat with aviation reporters the following day, denied the authorship of such letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, threatening legal action against the newspaper. But The Nation stood by its story


http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/22562-police-detectives-storm-the-nation-office-arrest-four-editors.html

So GEJ is also removing the freedom of speech?

The fuel subsidy removal was not enough?

Na wa for dis regime . . . .

What is their basis for raiding the newspaper?

hahahaha, Goodluck is trying to become a dictator. Freedom of speech too is going to be affected. Goodluck, look at what happened to your predecessor's who tried to stifle freedom of speech in Nigeria. History always repeats itself. I hope the senate and HOS reacts to this. Goodluck is pushing his luck.

For saying the truth. trying to expose the letter Obj wrote to GEJ

So, we are now arresting journalists like Buhari abi?

This must be the meaning of continuity. . .

That is the nature of 'transformation'.

olawalebab:

For saying the truth. trying to expose the letter Obj wrote to GEJ

This brings to fore the human rights accusation of Abacha.To hold on to power takes a lot that the ordinary mind cannot understand.If Jonathan does not stand firm against the various weaponry of the opposition,he might as well lose grip.

olawalebab:

For saying the truth. trying to expose the letter Obj wrote to GEJ

we don't know for sure:

Though the team did not disclose the contents of their Warrant,

fresh air indeed, obj is showing that he is in charge. goodluck nigerians

Abagworo:


This brings to fore the human rights accusation of Abacha.To hold on to power takes a lot that the ordinary mind cannot understand[b].If Jonathan does not stand firm against the various weaponry of the opposition,he might as well lose grip.[/b]

is the nation newspaper now the boko haram, mend that need to cage

These clowns no fit confront Boko Haram, na journalists and oppositions den dey harass all over the place,

Dumb, useless and incompetent idiots,

Eko Ile:

These clowns no fit confront Boko Haram, na journalists and oppositions [/b]den dey harass all over the place,

Dumb, useless and incompetent idiots,

[b]oppositions=opponents

Bloody, bloody illiterate.
BSc, University of Okemefa

They will later shout FOI.

Seun watch out! very soon they will visit your headquaters and "kaboom" nairaland is off the air.

You can't enter any pact with the devil. This is PAY back time!

Kilode?!:

So, we are now arresting journalists like Buhari abi?

This must be the meaning of continuity. . .

where have u been kilode egbon

Eko Ile:

These clowns no fit confront Boko Haram, na journalists and oppositions den dey harass all over the place,

Dumb, useless and incompetent idiots,

I wonder o, e be like say na Obj dey in charge of the country.

South-East:

oppositions=opponents

Bloody, bloody illiterate.
BSc, University of Okemefa

What is this dumb idiot talking about? Don't be afraid to articulate your thoughts.

What is your problem? You don't know the meaning of oppositions or your re-tard and dumb playing routine is kicking in??

I have an Honest question.

Do Journalist have immunity?

Ibro Yaya:

I have an Honest question.

Do Journalist have immunity?

what has immunity got to do with this

muyoto:

what has immunity got to do with this

I just kept wondering, why is that when journalist are arrested everybody just go wild.

Journalist can commit crime too. So there is nothing wrong arresting them if they do wrong!

alj_harem:

where have u been kilode egbon

Ha! My Alhaji. Ranka dede!

I took a small break ni.

Great job GEJ

GET needs to start showing ACN who the boss really is before they make mockery of his presidency and authority.


Arinfin yin ma de ti poju ke

olawalebab:

For saying the truth. trying to expose the letter Obj wrote to GEJ

What truth?

The letter was forged to instigate public disaffection of our leader and undermine his presidency. This is a serious issue. It has nothing to do with freedom of speech.

Freedom of speech ko, Occupy Wall street arrest ni

We need to know what the content of warrant of arrest is before commenting in full.

But let it be known, no despotic government have ever and will ever succeed in killing the opposition!

I hope GEJ can stand the heat when the true N.A.K.E.D dance of sane men begins!

Omo_Tier1:

We need to know what the content of warrant of arrest is before commenting in full.

But let it be known, no despotic government have ever and will ever succeed in killing the opposition!

I hope GEJ can stand the heat when the true N.A.K.E.D dance of sane men begins!

ACN, the opposition? How?

ACN is just a group of corrupt thugs/mafia under the control of Nigeria's biggest mafioso, Tinubu.

ACN aint no opposition.

I've always been careful to judge events without bias, without prejudice to if i voted GEJ or not. So everyone supporting this move, would u have said the same thing if it'd been done by Buhari, or Ribadu, or anyone else. If this arrests were authorised by Aso Rock, then it's a danger to our democracy, whichever way we see it. Arresting newspaper editors is usually the first step towards bad governance

mcgboye:

I've always been careful to judge events without bias, without prejudice to if i voted GEJ or not. So everyone supporting this move, would u have said the same thing if it'd been done by Buhari, or Ribadu, or anyone else. If this arrests were authorised by Aso Rock, then it's a danger to our democracy, whichever way we see it. Arresting newspaper editors is usually the first step towards bad governance

the only sensible post so far?

Odechukwu Retardeen with his m0r0nic ideas again

Buhari was a dictator, I guess Retardeen is trying to be like Buhari

It is wrong to forge letters. I pity those editors.
Its arse roasting day at CID and SSS.

No reasonable person would even imagine that The Nation somehow obtained a letter to GEJ.

Yar adua closed down "channels TV" and we all know the aftermath.

GEJ is moving against "The Nations"
If GEJ ever realise the mistake of clamping down on media house, he wont ordered this gestapo-KGB style on the free press.

As strong as OBJ was, "Leadership news paper" nearly brought him down after ordering the arrest of Sam Nda-Isiah.

"Those who cannot remember the past, should be comdemn to repeat it".

I hope they decend on SEUN's Nairaland very soon.

@beaf, i don't understand the word 'forge' you use, The nation said they still stand by their story, don't crucify them yet. Let them prove their case in the court of law and court of public opinion.

olawalebab:

@beaf, i don't understand the word 'forge' you use, The nation said they still stand by their story, don't crucify them yet. Let them prove their case in the court of law and court of public opinion.

Simply put, it isn't possible for any newspaper to get a copy of a letter from the Presidents desk at Aso Rock.
Even the staff of the Nation know the grievousness of what is going down.

"I think they want to press charges of forgery against the newspaper," the editor-in-chief of The Nation, Victor Ifijeh, told AFP.

http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/5-Nigerian-journalists-arrested-20111012

Being in opposition should not make people subversives, forging GEJ's letters and Obj's signature. What will they do next, sponsor boko haram?