The push to silence open criticism of the Federal Government of Nigeria appears to have found its way back into governing protocols of the presidency and its various security outposts.
Credible information available to 247ureports.com reveal the approach adopted by the presidency – through the utilization of Nigeria’s secret police – for the intimidation and harassment of select Journalists from publishing unfavorable reports on the presidency and on the person of the President.
As gathered, the State Security Service – the SSS were recently handed a list of online Journalists based mainly in the United States of America. The list was generated by aides to Mr. President – vetted and cleared by the presidency and forwarded to the SSS for appropriate actions.
The SSS was directed to halt the selected Journalists at the Airports – when they try to gain entrance into the country.
Among the list of online journalists on list are the publisher of 247ureports.com, the publisher of the African Examiner, Elombah.com and others. Two other online Journalists who were formally on the catch-them list – pointblanknews and thewillnigeria – were recently taken off. Details as to why the two Journalists were removed from the list are not readily available but a source point to the cozy relationship between the presidency and the two Journalists.
The SSS, in the recent past, had generated a catch-them list during the Yar’Adua/Jonathan administration – which netted the arrests of the publisher of Huhuonline.com, Emmanuel Asiwe and a Columnist of Saharareporters, Okey Ndibe. Both Journalists were arrested by the operatives of SSS upon their entry into Nigeria – at the Airport – as they arrived the immigration counter. Asiwe was detained for 12days and Ndibe was detained for alittle over a week.
Our source revealed that the SSS had interrogated the arrested men over links with foreign intelligent services. Asiwe was accused of having links with the United States of America’s espionage program – of which Asiwe denied and was later cleared. The agents of SSS wanted to know the source of their reports – and who the sponsors of the publications were.
When it became clear that the allegations were without proof or evidence, the security agent then softened and extended an olive branch to the men. Offers were made to the two men – to join forces with the SSS – on intelligence sharing. Our source revealed that the offer was turned down.
The renewed effort to start the arrest and detention of foreign based journalist by the Nigerian secret police, according our source, is predicated on the premise that foreign governments may have hired the services of the journalist to aide in the destabilization of the Nigerian government. Such foreign governments as Iran, Libya, USA, Israel, are suspected by the secret police to have hired the services of the mentioned journalists.
However other sources outside the confines of the secret police point to a more cynical reason for the renewed effort to arrest and detain the foreign based Journalists. They point directly to the upcoming pre-election activities of the 2015 presidential tussle – as the principal factor behind the catch-them list. They indicate that it has become customary to ‘shakedown’ the voice of the opposition – during electoral exercises that are deemed too close to call – as in the new threat posed by the new mega party – the All Progressive Congress.
“Expect the organs of oppression to be at work now. The EFCC, ICPC, SSS, Police, FIRS will work together to harass and intimidate them back into their cubicles” said a competent source in Abuja who is a card carrying member of the ruling party – the Peoples Democratic Party. The PDP top ranking member cautioned that the political tension spells of volatility and desperation on all sides of the aisle. “The president is desperate and the folks in APC are equally desperate“.
