Press Release: June 27 2003

Nigerian authorities censorship of investigative magazine: CREDO condemns “mop up” of Tell magazine – calls for Independent Public Inquiry.

CREDO for Freedom of Expression and Associated Rights today condemned the Nigerian authorities “mop up” of this week’s edition of the investigative news magazine Tell.

In a nation wide operation lasting about a day and a half at the beginning of the week, virtually the entire print run of the weekly magazine normally available for four to six days after publication was bought up by hundreds of teams of plain clothes security agents. Although a good number of the “mop up” teams were reportedly ‘polite’, in many cases, the “mop up” was enforced by intimidation where distributors, newsagents and vendors rejected generous sums well beyond the cover price.

The security agents also largely succeeded in preventing the export of the magazine, which usually sells in tens of thousands in Africa, Europe and the United States wherever there are large concentrations of Nigerians or persons of Nigerian origin.

The “mop up” was triggered by the magazines cover story “Scandal in Aso Rock – Anti Corruption Campaign a Fraud”. Aso Rock is the popular Nigerian name for the Office of the Presidency. The report exposed alleged contradictions, hypocrisy and fraud in the award of a multi-million dollar contract for the supply of broadcast equipment for the live and international coverage of the Eighth All Africa Games to be hosted in Nigeria in October 2003. Some internationally recognised electronic giants have been linked with the alleged scandal. The Nigerian government has been carrying out an anti-corruption campaign criticised by the media and several sections of society as being cosmetic.

Commenting on the developments, CREDO’S Coordinator Rotimi Sankore condemned the “mop up” stating: “While it is less brutal than outright seizure of publications and the locking up of journalists, the mass buying up of the latest edition of Tell magazine utilising what appears to be public funds represents a new and sinister censorship strategy by what is supposedly a newly elected democratic government.”

“It is a shame, that while President Obasanjo talks about NEPAD and a new African future, his government is unable to respond in a transparent and democratic manner to allegations of impropriety against it. This violation of the public’s right to know, underlines why CREDO with the support of several international and African organisations has recently called on the African Union especially its leading member states to commit publicly to ending government censorship, the release of all incarcerated journalists and the repeal of all anti-media legislation ”

“Its is therefore of utmost importance that President Obasanjo makes an immediate and public commitment to respecting press freedom and freedom of expression. He must also make it clear that under no circumstances should any arm of the Nigerian government be involved directly or indirectly in any form of censorship of the media and that anyone doing so is breaking the law.”

CREDO’s Coordinator also demanded that: “the Nigerian authorities must in the public interest return the magazines to the public domain where they belong in a manner acceptable to its publishers and media based organisations.”

In an exclusive interview with CREDO, Tell magazines Editor in Chief Nosa Igiebor expressed concern that “the authorities should have availed themselves of legitimate means of redress such as the right to reply which Tell would have happily agreed to. They could also have publicly stated their own side of the story or the facts as they believe them to be instead of resorting to censorship.” He emphasised that what is at stake, is “the public’s right to know” about the activities of their elected officials and government, and not what should otherwise be the routine sale of news publications.

The magazine had also issued a press statement on the 24th of June in which it alleged that prior to the “mop up” persons believed to be officials of the organising committee of the All Africa Games visited the magazine's headquarters in Ogba, Lagos, offering to buy up the entire edition before it went on sale.

CREDO is in the public interest, calling for an Independent Public Inquiry to be presided over by a retired and respected Judge and other respected representatives of civil society. Representatives of the Presidency, the security agencies, officials of the organising committee of the All Africa Games, newspaper and magazine distributors and other concerned parties should be invited to shed further light on the circumstances surrounding the “mop up” operations.

The recommended terms of reference for the inquiry are to be:

i. Who ordered the “mop up”?

ii. Who directed or coordinated the operations?

iii. What government agencies were involved?

iv. Who authorised the funds used for the “mop up” and where did the funds come from?

v. What has been done with the bought up copies of the magazines?

ENDS

Editors Note:

1. Tell magazine is an award winning magazine and one of Nigeria’s leading investigative weeklies. Alongside several other national newspapers and magazines it suffered the brunt of the crack down of successive military regimes with several of its editors and journalists spending long periods in prison, underground or in exile. The Nigerian authorities are notorious for brushing aside or even punishing media enquiries for clarifications on public interest matters.

2. CREDO and FAHAMU are currently running a petition campaign aimed at the African Union and calling for the release of all incarcerated African Journalists, and the repeal of all anti-media and anti-free expression legislation in African Union member states. The petition is supported by international and African organisations such as the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ); the World Association of Newspapers (WAN); the West African Journalists Association (WAJA); the Ethiopian Free Journalists Association (EFJA) and the Nigerian Independent Journalism Centre (IJC) amongst others. The petition can be read and signed at http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/freeafricanmedia/ . A statement by the International Federation of Journalists calling for individual journalist and media houses to support the campaign is also linked to the petition site.

For further information contact-

CREDO International Office:

Centre for Research Education & Development Of
- [CREDO]- Freedom of Expression & Associated Rights.

73-75 Newington Causeway
London SE1 6BD, UK

Tel: + 44 20 77875501
Fax:+ 44 20 77875502

E-mail: Media – [email protected] , General – [email protected]