UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
Nigeria: IFEX alert - Police close club house of journalists, 8/29/97

Nigeria: IFEX alert - Police close club house of journalists, 8/29/97


IFEX- News from the international freedom of expression community

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ALERT - NIGERIA

28 August 1997

Police close club house of journalists union

SOURCE: Independent Journalism Centre (IJC), Lagos

(IJC/IFEX) - The premises of the club house of the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), in Somolu, a Lagos suburb, were occupied and sealed up by a contingent of armed policemen on 23 and 24 August 1997. During the siege, journalists and other members of the public who came to patronize the club house were turned back. The policemen gave no reason for the siege, but the NUJ Executive Committee said it gathered that the action was taken by the police authorities to prevent an anticipated opposition press conference on the continued detention of Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the winner of the annulled 1993 presidential elections. 24 August was Abiola's 60th birthday.

In its petition to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, NUJ Chairman Lanre Arogundade said his council had always conducted itself peacefully and responsibly in all its activities, and that the excuse for the siege was baseless. He said the siege falls in character with the incessant violations of Nigerians' rights to free speech, association, assembly, and the protection of their property from unlawful invasion.

For further information, contact Akin Akingbulu, Tejumola House (1st Floor) 24, Omole Layout, New Isheri Road, P.O. Box 7808, Ojudu, Ikeja - Lagos, Nigeria, tel/fax: +234 1 4924998/4924314, e-mail: ijc@linkserve.com.ng

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

DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE 490 Adelaide St.W., suite 205, Toronto (ON) M5V 2T1 CANADA tel: +1 416 703 1638, fax: +1 416 703 7034 e-mail: ifex@web.net, Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/

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[Via the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs Integrated Regional Information Network for West Africa (IRIN-WA) Reports mailing list. The material contained in this communication may not necessarily reflect the views of the UN or its agencies. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts from this report should be attributed to the original sources where appropriate. For further information: e-mail irin-wa@africaonline.co.ci, Tel: +225 217367 Fax: +225 216335.]

Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19970829090545.00b0c858@pop.africaonline.co.ci> Date: Fri, 29 Aug 1997 09:05:45 +0100 From: UN DHA IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@africaonline.co.ci> Subject: Nigeria: IFEX alert - Police close club house of journalists

Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar

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