Nigerian soldiers stand at the Office of the state-run Nigerian Television Authority in Maiduguri, Nigeria...
The Nigerian government Confiscate and Destroy Copies of Local Newspapers of four targeted major local newspapers on Friday, confiscating or destroying its copies, and storming one of the paper's offices, according to multiple reports.
The military reportedly stopped and searched distribution vans across the country, confiscating copies of four dailies: The Nation, the Daily Trust, the Leadership, and the Punch. The newspapers said these actions affected their distributions on Friday and Saturday, and accused the government of trying to stifle freedom of expression.
The Nation claimed that the soldiers stormed one of its distribution offices, under orders from the government.
"One of the military men told us that they were acting on [an] order from above as there were allegations that newspaper circulation vehicles were being used to smuggle arms and ammunition," one of The Nation's distribution managers said, according to Agence France-Press.
The military confirmed the operations, but argued that they were over "security concerns," and not to stifle freedom of expression. The Nigerian government is under increasing pressure to respond to the Islamic militant group Boko Haram's actions around the country, and it's struggling to maintain order and peace.
The search "followed intelligence report(s) indicating movement of materials with grave security implications across the country using the channel of newsprint-related consignments," Nigeria's defense spokesperson Chris Olukolade said, according to The Punch. "The general public and the affected media organizations in particular are assured that the exercise was a routine security action and should not be misconstrued for any other motive."
The Punch, however, wrote that the government's actions were "reminiscent of military dictatorship in the country."
The Daily Trust claimed that soldiers detained several drivers of its distribution van. The newspaper wrote that the military did not give "any reason for its action," but noted that it had recently published an article that was critical of the military.
The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the Nigerian military's actions on Friday.
"Denying Nigerians access to news and information sows the seeds of rumors and distrust," Sue Valentine, CPJ's Africa program coordinator, said. "While we recognize that Nigeria faces security threats, these can never effectively be addressed by media blackouts or persecution of journalists. We call on authorities to respect the vital role that media play in circulating information and holding government to account."
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