Police Raid Premium Times’ Office, Arrest Publisher & Journalist after it Refused to Retract News Stories About the Army

The Nigeria Police has arrested the publisher of Premium Times, an online newspaper in Nigeria.

Dapo Olorunyimi was arrested alongside the paper’s judiciary correspondent, Evelyn Okakwu when the police officers raided their office on Thursday.

According to the paper:

Plain-clothed officers conducted search at the office shortly after 5p.m. Thursday, and said they were acting on a complaint filed by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Tukur Buratai.

The arrests came days after PREMIUM TIMES turned down the army’s demand to retract news stories about the Nigerian Army and its operations.

The paper’s Editor-in-Chief, Musikilu Mojeed, condemned the raid.

“They should stop deluding themselves that they can muzzle the press and intimidate PREMIUM TIMES,” said Mojeed. “They should know that our loyalty lies with our readers and the Nigerian people who have a right to know.”

He said the paper will continue “to discharge its responsibilities in line with global best practices, social responsibility and patriotism, even at great risk to our personal liberties”.