SSS ARRESTS MORE JOURNALISTS AT ABUJA INQUIRER

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 000060 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM NI SUBJECT: SSS ARRESTS MORE JOURNALISTS AT ABUJA INQUIRER REF: ABUJA 52 Classified By: Political Counselor Russell J. Hanks for reasons 1.4 (b and d) ¶1. (C) Post reported reftel that one Nigerian journalist was arrested by the State Security Service (SSS),another was murdered, and that the top floor of the corporate offices of Thisday newspaper was destroyed in a fire. In a new development, SSS agents on January 10, 2007 detained the entire staff of The Abuja Inquirer for several hours and "invited for further questioning" the Publisher Dan Akpovwa and General Editor Sonde Abbah. While no charges have been filed, SSS agents said they had published seditious material. Akpovwa and Abbah were still being involuntarily questioned on January 11. ¶2. (C) At 2:30 p.m. on January 10, 2007, SSS agents arrived at the offices of The Abuja Inquirer. Emmanuel Iffer, a journalist at the paper, told PolOff that agents overpowered the guards and entered the building yelling and brandishing weapons. In addition to the paper's staff, guests, two corporate attorneys, and staff members from three other media outlets who were on the premesis at the time were detained. All were required to hand over their cellular telephones, and they were prevented from making or receiving any calls on their landlines. SSS agents proceded to search the office, saying that the newspaper was being investigated for sedition. Akpovwa and Abbah were taken away for further questioning, and everyone else was released shortly after 6 p.m. ¶3. (C) The Abuja Inquirer is a weekly newspaper. In their January 8-14 edition they ran a story headlined, "OBJ-Atiku Faceoff: Coup Fears Grip Nigeria." They believe it is this story which led to the sedition allegation. When SSS came, they waved a paper which they said was a search warrant. When asked to see an arrest warrant to explain the detention of all present, they said none was needed as they were simply "invited for questioning." A total of 16 SSS officers were involved in the raid. ¶4. (C) COMMENT. This is the fourth major incident involving journalists since Christmas, and post is investigating a fifth incident and will report upon it septel. Nigerian media have long been critical of the government, but it is unclear why the government is now responding more harshly to such criticism. Emmanuel Iffer believes it is part of a coordinated campaign to intimidate journalists given the uncertainty surrounding the elections planned for April. Any effort to chill the reporting of journalists does not bode well for this spring's political season. END COMMENT. CAMPBELL