PRESS STATEMENT
RELEASE ELENDU NOW -BABA ADAMS
We are very disturbed by the recent abuses of the Press by the Nigerian
government and deteriorations of the Freedom of Expression and Press.
Too numerous to list all [ http://mediarightsagenda.org/attacks.html ]
but here are few examples within the last few of month, on May 6, 2008 the
Nigerian government officials and the State Security Service (SSS) raided
the Leadership Newspaper offices and arrested Mallam Saidu Sarki Usman,
the Politics Editor, on August 17, 2008, Mr. Paul Abayomi Ogundeji,
member of ThisDay Newspaper Editorial Board was assassinated, then closure
of ChannelsTV on September 16, 2008, then the President Yar'Adua's aide
were forced to take Oath of Secrecy and last week Mr. Jonathan Elendu was
arrested.
It is violation of the Nigerian Constitution to hold anyone for more than
24 hours without charging them and or allowing them access to a Counsel. The Nigerian government and the State Security Service (SSS) must release
Mr. Jonathan Elendu right away. We will not tolerate the abuse and or
intimidation of Mr. Elendu, or any other member of the Press Corp in
Nigeria, or the vibrant Internet and News Agencies outside Nigeria.
If the Nigerian government continues intimidation members of the Press
Corp and abusing the Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Press and any Human
Rights we will start a vigorous campaign against the government both in
Nigeria and abroad. We will remind the cost to the Nigerian government¢s
recent actions such as the abuse of the Press has and will have negative
impact on Nigeria¢s aspirations for a permanent seat at the United Nations
Security Council!
We are closely monitoring Mr. Elendu¢s situation. We have already
contacted the US State Department, both International and Nigerian and
organizations such the Human Rights Watch [ http://hrw.org/contact.html ];
Amnesty International [ http://www.amnesty.org/en/contact ]; Media Rights
Agenda in Nigeria [ http://mediarightsagenda.org/contactus.html ] and
Nigerian Civil Society groups.
BABA ADAMS, USA