Nigerian journos held over reports

[iolsa]

Abuja - A Nigerian newspaper said Tuesday that two of its journalists were being "illegally" held by police for reporting about the government's planned intimidation of the opposition.

The Leadership daily last week published an article about a presidential directive that gave orders for "everything to be done to frustrate the merged opposition parties."

The country's four main opposition parties merged to form the All Progressives Congress in February and planned to contest against President Goodluck Jonathan's People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 elections.

Four of the newspaper's journalists were detained early Monday and two of them were still being held on Tuesday, the managing director of the Leadership Group told dpa.

"We demand the immediate and unconditional release of the two who are still being held by President Goodluck Joanthan's government," Azubuike Ishiekwene said over phone from Abuja.

He said the journalists' detention was "illegal and a despicable  affront on freedom of the press."

The police spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

The PDP has governed Africa's most populous nation since 1999.

Nigeria's press is relatively free among West African nations. The country ranks 115 on a global list of 179, according to watchdog group Reporters Without Borders. - Sapa-dpa



IOLSA