Newspaper Publisher Fears for His- Threatening Calls

[Richard Akindele]

Alfred Egbegi, publisher of the privately-owned weekly newspaper "Izon Link", based in Yenogoa, the Bayelsa State capital in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria, expressed fear that his life may be in danger as officials of the state government and security operatives were harassing him over a story published in the current edition of the newspaper.

The story, published in the Volume 7, Number 8 edition of the newspaper, carried the headline "Ebebi cries out: Jonathan is stabbing me". The story alleged political intrigues between the state governor and his deputy over who would govern the state after the 2007 general elections.

Egbegi told MRA that since 10 April, when the newspaper hit the newsstands, he had been receiving anonymous phone calls threatening to deal with him for embarrassing the governor and his deputy. He added that other journalists critical of the government of the state were also being targeted by agents of the state government and that some of them had been marked for arrest.

However, the deputy governor's press secretary, Charles Tambou, denied in a telephone interview that the government was planning to arrest Egbegi, saying it was normal for people to express displeasure over negative newspaper publications but that such displeasure did not warrant harassing, arresting or intimidating journalists.

Egbegi said he reported the threats to the Nigerian Police and the State Security Service (SSS), Nigeria's intelligence service.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send appeals to authorities:

- calling for an investigation into the alleged threat to Albert Egbegi's life and the allegation that other journalists have been targeted for arrest

- urging the security agencies to guarantee the safety of the publisher and other journalists operating in the state

APPEALS TO:

Mr. Sunday Ehindero

Inspector General of Police

Force Headquarters

Loius Edet House

Shehu Shagari Way

Area 11, Garki, Abuja, Nigeria

Tel: +234 9 2340633 / 2340422

Fax: +234 9 2340422

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200604130224.html