(IJC/IFEX) – On 30 July 1999, the management of Independent Communications Network Limited (ICNL), publishers of “TheNews” magazine, stated that they had been receiving unusual telephone calls threatening the magazine’s officials. In a statement issued by the company’s general manager, ICNL said that at about 10:00 p.m. (local time) on 29 July, “a call came […]
(IJC/IFEX) – On 30 July 1999, the management of Independent Communications
Network Limited (ICNL), publishers of “TheNews” magazine, stated that they
had been receiving unusual telephone calls threatening the magazine’s
officials.
In a statement issued by the company’s general manager, ICNL said that at
about 10:00 p.m. (local time) on 29 July, “a call came to our office,
through a line which has never been published and which is known only to a
select few of our staff. The caller said: ‘You should stop what you are
doing, if not, we are going to kill you. In fact, we are coming to your
house tonight.’ The caller dropped the phone immediately after.”
The statement noted that the calls, which had become incessant shortly after
the company published an investigative story on allegations of forgery and
perjury against Alhaji Salisu Buhari, the former speaker of the House of
Representatives, in “TheNews” magazine’s 19 July edition, “may be intended
just to scare our editors and staff. They may be forewarning of some
diabolical plots against us. We do not know the purpose…”
The company hinted that Femi Falana, the company’s lawyer, had been informed
of the development and had instructed ICNL to send a “Save-our-Soul” letter
to the inspector general of police, Alhaji Smith Musilu.
The statement further stated that after the initial call, several calls came
in through the other well known telephone lines. Each time the phone was
picked up, the caller said nothing and then terminated the call.
