IPC
ATTACKS GOVT OVER PREMIUM TIMES
OLORUNYOMI IS BEEN HARASSED BY THE MILITARY
The
International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos-Nigeria has described the invasion of
the premises of Premium Times in Abuja and the subsequent arrest of its
Publisher, Dapo Olorunyomi and the judiciary correspondent, Evelyn Okakwu by
armed police men on the night of January 19, 2017, as an unacceptable assault
on freedom of the Press.
Director of
IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade said in a statement today (January 20, 2017), that
the attack on Premium Times as well as the harassment of other journalists in
recent times are completely antithetical to democratic values and norms at the
core of which are the rights to free speech and media freedom.
“Any
government that makes the Press its enemy, will invariably turn to be the enemy
of the people as was recently the case in The Gambia where Yaya Jammeh was
rejected by the people due to his constant attacks on the Press among other
human rights violations”, the IPC Director warned.
According to
the IPC Director, the Police should not allow itself to be used to settle
scores by vested interests, in this case the Army authorities, which have
already made public its disagreement with Premium Times over certain
publications by the media outlet pertaining to the office of the Chief of Army
Staff.
“The Police
should however make public its reasons for the raid of Premium Times and the
arrest of Olorunyomi and Okakwu if they believe that it is not connected with
the dispute with the Army authorities”, he said further.
Mr.
Arogundade advised the Army authorities to seek legal redress or make use of
the instrumentality of the media regulatory agencies, should they be convinced
that there had been professional misconduct on the part of Premium Times and
its editors.
The IPC
Director, said however that the organization welcomes the fact that the Police
authorities promptly released the arrested Publisher and Reporter following
public outcry.
The IPC
Director, also said that recent developments have made it imperative to have a
national stakeholders’ dialogue involving media institutions, the security and
law enforcement agencies, the media regulatory agencies etc, to discuss
measures for safeguarding press freedom and the sustenance of democratic
values.
SGD:
Melody
Akinjiyan
Safety Alert
Desk Officer, IPC
House 11,
Dideolu Court, 2nd gate b/stop, Ogba Lagos
Tel:
+2348162206470
Melody
Akinjiyan
Assistant Program Officer
Assistant Program Officer
International
Press Centre (IPC), Lagos, Nigeria
IPC is Nigeria's foremost media capacity development organization.
IPC is Nigeria's foremost media capacity development organization.
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