RSF issues open letter to General Abacha

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF issued the following letter to General Sani Abacha of Nigeria concerning attacks on the media. “Your Excellency An editor was shot dead. Another one faces the death penalty. Thirteen journalists are in jail. RSF is very worried about the continuous infringements of the freedom of the press. Also, the statement you made […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF issued the following letter to General Sani Abacha of
Nigeria concerning attacks on the media.

“Your Excellency

An editor was shot dead. Another one faces the death penalty. Thirteen
journalists are in jail. RSF is very worried about the continuous
infringements of the freedom of the press. Also, the statement you made
against Nigerian journalists, in November 1997, regarding any attempt to
upset the transition process towards a civilian government seems to take
part in the deterioration of the conditions in which journalists have to
work.

On 26 February 1998, Tunde Oladepo, a 34-year-old-senior correspondent with
“The Guardian”, was shot, at around 4 a.m., at his home in Abeokuta (Ogun
State) by several masked and armed men, in the presence of his wife and two
children. The murderers burst into the bedroom from the kitchen, shouting
“where is the guy ?” After killing Oladepo, the murderers stayed for thirty
minutes to make sure that the journalist was really dead. Then they left,
taking with them a TV set and a few clothes. People close to Oladepo,
reported that the journalist had been receiving anonymous phone calls since
June 1997 (for information on the Oladepo case see IFEX alert dated 2 March
1998).

This murder recalls the assault, two years ago, of the billionaire Alex
Ibru, owner of the Guardian press group, by an armed commando on 2 February
1996. A previously unheard-of organization, the Revolutionary Movement for
the Defence of Hausa-Fulbe Interests, claimed responsibility for this
attack. It was the first time in Nigeria that an organisation had openly
proclaimed adherence to an ethnic group in order to justify an act of
violence (for information on the Ibru case see IFEX alerts dated 5, 6 and 20
February 1996).

Moreover, Niran Malaolu, editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper “The
Diet” has been charged with “treason.” The journalist was accused on 14
February 1998, by a special military court based in the northern town of
Jos, of plotting to overthrow General Sani Abacha on 21 December 1997.
Malaolu is liable to the death penalty if he is found guilty. The trial is
being conducted behind closed doors for a month and the judgment will be
final. On 28 December 1997, Malaolu was arrested without any official reason
being given. The spokesman for the Ministry of Defence announced that the
order for Malaolu’s arrest “came from above” (for information on the Malaolu
case see IFEX alerts dated 30 December 1997, 9, 17 and 20 February 1998).

RSF recalls that, in 1995, four Nigerian journalists were sentenced to 15
years in jail by a special military court sitting behind closed doors. They
were convicted of “concealing information and involvement to varying degrees
in the failed coup d’etat” of 1 March 1995. They are Kunle Ajibade, editor
of the magazine “The News”, Ben Charles Obi, editor of the magazine
“Week-end Classique”, George Mbah, a journalist with the independent weekly
“Tell”, and Christina Anyanwu, editor of “The Sunday Magazine” and winner of
the RSF prize in 1995. Their health is said to be poor. Nigerian jails are
known to be overcrowded and to have appalling sanitary conditions. Scabies
and typhoid fever are rampant at the Kaduna prison where Christina Anyanwu
is detained (see IFEX alerts).

While the democratic transition process must be finalised in August 1998
with the presidential elections, the private press in Nigeria is going
through its darkest times.

We thank you for your attention to this matter and look forward to your
reply.

Yours faithfully,

Robert Menard
General Secretary”

Recommended Action

General Sani Abacha

President of the Provisional Council

State House

Abuja – Nigeria

Fax: +234 9 523 2138