Soldiers seize consignment of Today’s Edition of Leadership Newspapers
Adetokunbo Fakeye
Are we back to military era? This is the question by people as some soldiers who reportedly claimed they were acting on orders from above swooped on agents of Leadership Newspaper and confiscated today’s edition of the medium heading to the Northwest, Southeast and Southsouth regions of the country.
Azubike Ishiekwene, managing director of the Leadership Group, said soldiers mounting a roadblock close to the toll gate along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway blocked the newspaper’s van heading towards Kaduna and confiscated the entire consignment of the paper.
The driver of the vehicle as well as another staff according to him were also detained, with their telephones seized.
Ishiekwene also informed that another consignment of the paper being flown to states in the Southeast were also confiscated by authorities at the Abuja airport, the newspaper said.
He said his company had not been told the reason for the action.
Information also revealed that while seizure of the newspaper today edition is on another detachment of soldiers have condoned off the Edo State office of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Benin, demanding all copies of Leadership and Nation Newspapers from vendors.
Patrick Ochoga, the Edo state correspondent of the paper in Benin, informed that the consignment of the paper heading to Kogi and Edo states was also intercepted and seized by soldiers in Kontagora.
“They are trying to ensure that the papers do not circulate at all in Benin,” Mr. Ochoga said.
The soldiers action might not be unconnected with the story carried by the medium that, some generals having been tried in connection with alleged romance and supply of arms to Boko Haram, report which the Defence spokesperson, Major-Gen Olukolade has debunked but agreed, some officers below the rank of colonel are facing trial which according to him is a routine thing in the military.
