Abuja – Four Nigerian newspapers said soldiers stopped and seized copies of its editions on Friday over security concerns, with one likening the raids to censorship during the country’s military rule.
The military confirmed the searches, but officers denied that the moves were designed to muzzle critics, even though at least two of the newspapers had published damning articles about the army in recent days.
Four dailies – The Nation, the Daily Trust, the Leadership and Punch – all said they were affected, while The Nation said soldiers stormed one of its circulation offices.
“One of the military men told us that they were acting on an order from above as there were allegations that newspaper circulation vehicles were being used to smuggle arms and ammunition,” one of The Nation’s distribution managers said.
The early morning raids did not appear to target specific editions and the copies seized were destined for all parts of the country, the newspapers said online.
Defence spokesman Chris Olukolade said the search “followed intelligence report(s) indicating movement of materials with grave security implications across the country using the channel of newsprint-related consignments”.
Nigeria’s military has been under sustained pressure, including in the media, over its response to the Boko Haram insurgency, which has claimed thousands of lives since it began five years ago.
Attacks by the Islamist militant group have increased, with the military apparently powerless to prevent the bloodshed, exacerbated by the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls in April…
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