tolu001:

@beaf

Is this beaf pork sane at all, why is your thinking so lopsided?, i've never seen u reasonable or objective anywhere on nairaland and i'm sure outside nairaland you are no different.

People like u walking freely on the streets of Naija is a DISASTER to the country. Don't you worry, your days of reckoning is by the corner.

Beaf:

The above will not free the errant journalists. They pushed hard and are being treated harder, the Nation newspaper cannot toy with the Presidents name simply because they are in the opposition.
As I have said over and over, opposition is not the same thing as subversion. I hope those journalists spend good time in jail, it will teach others never to forge any document and attach the Presidents name to it, or in the very least, not to publish any purported letters they claim to have been sent to Aso Rock. There are several security implications in their actions and I pray fervently that they serve very stiff jail sentences.

HURIWA Condemns Arrest Of Editors Of Nation
Posted: October 12, 2011 - 11:51
By Emmanuel Onwubiko

A media focused non-governmental organization- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS' ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA, [HURIWA] has strongly condemned the arrest by armed security operatives of some senior Editors of the Nation Newspapers on the allleged reported strenght of a petition by the former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and stated that the method adopted in the arrest was reminiscent of the dark days of the repressive military and dictatorial regimes even as it has asked the Nigeria Police authorities to either charge them to competent court of law speedly or release them unconditionally with profuse apologies for the psychological torture they were subjected to in the course of the reported arrest.

HURIWA has also advised the President, Commander-in-cheif of the Nigerian Armed Forces Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan to call the hierarchy of the nation's security community to order so that the security operatives would not soil the seemingly good and credible pro-media image that the current administration has built for itself just as it admonished the Federal Government not to allow the former President to unduely enjoy lopsided privileges by making use of the mechanism of the nation's law enforcement agencies to arm twist the editors of the Nation Newspaper in the ongoing dispute over the validity or otherwise of the letter purportedly written and sent to the President by the erstwhile President in which he was alleged to have advised the current federal administration to sack some select heads of some sensitive and high profile Federal agencies.

In the statement made available to the media and endorsed jointly by the national Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs officer Miss. Zainab Yusuf, the Rights group said the Federal Government must do everything within the law to promote and protect media freedoms in line with constitutional provisions and the recently signed Freedom of Information Act of 2011 just as the group said the current Inspector General of Police Mr. Hafix Ringim must demonstrate evidential proofs to show that he is not a willing tool for the suppression of media freedom and pluralism in Nigeria wich are essential for the full advamncement of democracy, the Rule of Law and respect for the fundamental freedoms and human rights of the citizenry.

According to HURIWA; "we in the human rights community are shocked that few months after the current President endorsed the legendary Freedom of Information Act which is universally accalimed as the best instrument for the promotion of media freedom and real practice of democracy in Nigeria, the reactionary elements in the security community are now seeking to use the brutal repression of editors of the vibrant Nation Newspaper to soil the good image that the current President is building for his administration as the only federal administration in the annals of Nigeria to indelibly make a mark in the promotion and protection of media freedom. We urge the operatives of the security community to desist from the usual overzealous and repressive military tendencies they always generously display each time they are deployed to invite some media practioners for interrogation".

The Rights group said that in compliance with section 36 [5] of the constitution of the federal Republic of Ngeria as amended, the senior Editorial staff of the lagos based media house- Nation Newspapers are innocent in the eyes of the law until proven guilty by the competent court of law in accordance with section 6 of the Constitution and therefore condemns the gestapo style of the reported invassion and arrest of some senior editors of Nation Newspaper as if they are common criminals. The Group also stated that the secutiy operatives must conduct themselves within the scope of the law even if the matter reported to the involves the former President of Nigeria since according to the Rights group all citizens are equal before the law.

LogicPower:

Demdem: "The typical Nigerian Police style. why dont u think of it this way:
O yes, the President knows all letters on his desk and he noticed that one critical one is missing and wants to know the mole in his office"

Beaf: "The more reason why the perpetrators need to be locked away and questioned by the security services. They cannot play games with the Presidents office, that is subversion, a serious offence which carries a hefty punishment. There are really no kind words to describe what the Nation did. Those editors are in real trouble indeed."

Demdem: "very Good but that is a different story entirely. The issue at hand is if the letter in question is fake or not. If the above scenario is true, (i.e. a mole stole and leaked the letter to the paper) then the letter is real and not fake.
also if this scenario is true, i see nothing wrong in what these journalists have done. the only person that needs to be punished is the mole in the President's office simple"



Demdem, you have clearly and aptly demonstrated how awesome and formidable the power of logic is, by this your simple deductive reasoning.

And the best thing about logic is that it is intrinsically objective, constant and neutral; the value of your argument, for instance, would remain the same regardless of the side of the debate on which you are, as far as Beaf's premises are concerned.

HNosegbe:

Mr Beaf, can you please tell us what makes you so certain that the paper set out ab initio to "subvert" the administration? [/b]What we have here is a newspaper saying that it has a copy of former President Obasanjo's letter to GEJ, and they have said that they stand by their assertion. This means they are prepared to tender it as evidence should this ever make trial.

So let's drop all the 'conspiracy theories', let the case go to court and let the courts decide.    

[b]
Falana: we’ll prove letter was not forged
By Our Reporter 13 hours 23 minutes ago
Font size: Decrease font Enlarge font
Falana Falana



Lagos lawyer and counsel to Vintage Press Limited, publishers of The Nation, Mr. Femi Falana yesterday demanded the immediate release of the newspaper   editors.

Messrs Lawal Ogienagbon, Dapo Olufade, Yusuf Ali, Yomi Odunuga and two others were yesterday arrested over the controversial letter written by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan.

[b]Falana said his client is ready to prove that the controversial letter which Chief  Obasanjo wrote  to President Jonathan was not forged.

In a statement,  Falana said:

“Following the recent publication of a letter written to President Goodluck Jonathan by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo  in respect of some federal parastatals, the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters requested the editor of The Nation newspaper, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso to report at Abuja for interrogation with respect to the source of the publication of the said letter. As Mr. Omotoso had travelled out of the country on an official engagement we  wrote to the police to the effect  that he would report upon his return to the country.

“But this afternoon the police invaded the Abuja office of the newspaper and arrested two of its correspondents- Messrs Yussuf Ali and Yomi Odunuga.A similar operation was carried out in its Lagos office  where the police quizzed Messrs Lawal Ogienagbon, John Austin Unachukwu, Adegbenjo Babajide and Dapo Olufade as well as Mrs Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu. All efforts to secure the release of the detained journalists have proved abortive as they are being asked to disclose the source of the leakage of Chief Obasanjo’s letter.

“As the detained journalists are not prepared to disclose the source of the publication they are being accused of having forged the letter. Meanwhile Chief Obasanjo’s specimen signature has not been obtained and taken to a forensic laboratory to establish the allegation of forgery in the circumstance. To that extent no reasonable suspicion has been established to warrant the arrests and detention of the journalists as required by Section 35 of the Constitution of Nigeria,

“Since forgery is a bailable offence under the law  we demand for the immediate release of the detained  journalists. In the alternative, they should be charged to court  where our clients will prove beyond any shadow of doubt that  the controversial letter was not forged’’.
[/b]

kokoA:

I though he said "I am not a Goliath" o two weeks back

Demdem:

^^^ did u say warrant? my bro, there wasnt any.

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.”

onye_ngbu*:


Contents!! Meaning that there was actually a warrant.

onye_ngbu*:


Contents!! Meaning that there was actually a warrant.

Okija_juju:

^^^

Chukwu gozie ghi Nwanne madu!!

I was about to post that exact extract from the article,

Demdem:

Chai, someone wants to perpetuate fraud here oooo.

This is what i see oooo


Though the team did not disclose why the editors were to be arrested, it is believed that it was not unconnected with the lead story of The Nation on October 4, headlined “Obasanjo’s ‘secret’ letter to Jonathan stirs anger. Ex-President seeks sack of PTDF chief four others”.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/22631-police-invade-the-nation-offices.html

HNosegbe:

Mr Beaf, can you please tell us what makes you so certain that the paper set out ab initio to "subvert" the administration? What we have here is a newspaper saying that it has a copy of former President Obasanjo's letter to GEJ, and they have said that they stand by their assertion. This means they are prepared to tender it as evidence should this ever make trial.

So let's drop all the 'conspiracy theories', let the case go to court and let the courts decide.

The above will not free the errant journalists. They pushed hard and are being treated harder, the Nation newspaper cannot toy with the Presidents name simply because they are in the opposition.
As I have said over and over, opposition is not the same thing as subversion. I hope those journalists spend good time in jail, it will teach others never to forge any document and attach the Presidents name to it, or in the very least, not to publish any purported letters they claim to have been sent to Aso Rock. There are several security implications in their actions and I pray fervently that they serve very stiff jail sentences.

tolu001:

@beaf

Why are you assuming the position of the Judge?, How are u so sure the letter was forged?, an accuse is presumed innocent until proven otherwise. If the police are indeed sure the letter was forged then they should proceed to the court where it would be proven beyond any reasonable doubt for all to see then the accused can be made to face the full weight of the law.

Meanwhile, what happens the law that states a suspect cannot cannot use more than 48hrs in detention before taken to court?, oops, i forgot, we are in Nigeria (the lawless land)

kokoA:

I though he said "I am not a Goliath" o two weeks back

Beaf:

When people play games with the highest office, they can only reap whirlwinds.
Put yourself in the bracket; if you were to forge and publish a letter addressed to the President, what do you think the repercussion would be? If on the other hand, you claim that a spy stole it from Aso Rock and gave it to you, wouldn't you feel extremely lucky to to only be held by the police?
As I keep saying, being in the opposition does not equate to being a subversive. Lines have been crossed and we can only hope that strong examples are made of those men.

HNosegbe:

You still haven't answered my question. I repeat, WHAT MAKES YOU SO SURE THAT SUBVERSION IS THE INTENT OF THESE PEEPS?