La version française suit. The French version follows.

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT AND UPDATE - NIGERIA

29 August 2003

Press freedom still curbed amid growing lawlessness

SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris

**New cases and update to IFEX alert of 28 August 2003**

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed concern about the numerous attacks on press
freedom in Nigeria recently and the growing climate of lawlessness in which
journalists have to work, especially outside Lagos.

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has ordered the expulsion of Haruna
Acheneje, a correspondent of "The Punch" newspaper in the southern state of
Akwa Ibom. Lawson Heyford, of "The Source" magazine, was arrested by police
in the southern city of Port Harcourt and arbitrarily held by police for
several days. Finally, a Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) crew was
attacked by police in Abuja while filming a clash between police and
military officers.

"We are appalled by this unacceptable expulsion order against a journalist
whose only sin was writing an article," said RSF Secretary-General Robert
Ménard. "We demand its immediate cancellation and call on the federal
government to strongly condemn it," he added.

The organisation urged the authorities to ensure greater security for
journalists working throughout the country and not to allow abuses and
irregularities to go unpunished. "Investigations into physical attacks and
arbitrary arrests must be thorough and those responsible for them must be
identified and punished," RSF said.

Acheneje had reported in the 11 August 2003 edition of "The Punch" that Akwa
Ibom State House of Assembly members were complaining about the federal
government because their allowances had not been paid. Assembly members
denounced the article as "false" and "a bid to stir up trouble" and summoned
the journalist to explain himself. Acheneje declined, asking instead that
they contact his paper's head office in Lagos.

On 15 August, the assembly ordered him to leave the state within a week. On
22 August, when Acheneje failed to do so, it voted on a resolution to expel
him. That same day, three armed men thoroughly searched his office while he
was absent. On 23 August, he received two suspect packages at his home,
which he handed over to police for fear they were dangerous. Dele Giwa,
editor-in-chief of "Newswatch" magazine, was killed in 1986 when he opened a
parcel bomb at his home (see IFEX alerts of 28 August 2001, 14 January 2000
and 20 November 1997).

Heyford was arrested without explanation on 22 August. He was held at the
office of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Lagos. The
journalist was released four days later after his interrogation about an
article he wrote about tribal clashes that resulted in the death of several
people in the southern village of Ataba, and in which he named several
people as being responsible.

NTA reporter Mohammed Labbo and cameraman Abdullahi Abdullahi were attacked
by police on 14 August as they were covering clashes between police and
military officers. Abdullahi was hit on the head with rifle butts and his
camera was damaged. The Police Affairs Ministry has opened an inquiry into
the incident, but no results have been announced to date.

For further information, contact Jean-François Julliard at RSF, rue Geoffroy
Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51,
e-mail: [email protected], Internet: http://www.rsf.org

The information contained in this alert and update is the sole
responsibility of RSF. In citing this material for broadcast or publication,
please credit RSF.
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