Soldiers on Sunday invaded the head office of Daily Trust newspaper in Abuja and its regional offices in Maiduguri, Borno state capital, and Lagos.
The reason for the invasion is yet to be known, but the armed soldiers arrested Uthman Abubakar, the newspaper’s regional editor, and Ibrahim Sawab, a reporter.
The soldiers barricaded the gate of the Maiduguri office, after arresting the two editorial staff.
Hours after shutting down the Maiduguri office, another set of soldiers invaded the head office in Abuja, carting away computers and ordering all members of staff to leave the newsroom.
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A witness said the soldiers requested to see Hamza Idris, Daily Trust’s political editor.
The editor’s byline appeared on the newspaper’s Sunday lead story about the military operation in the north-east.
When TheCable reached out to Sani Usman over the development, the army spokesman said he will “find out” what is going on.
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Following the invasion, Daily Trust took its social media pages to demand the release of its members of staff.
“Whereabouts of #DailyTrust staff unknown,” the newspaper tweeted.
#Military invasion: Whereabouts of #DailyTrust staff unknown https://t.co/2TRj7ySadO via @daily_trust@MBuhari@NGRPresident@HQNigerianArmy@Gidi_Traffic@FreePress@globalfreemedia@barbara_trionfi@HRW@AmnestyNigeria
— Daily Trust (@daily_trust) January 6, 2019
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Subsequently, the newspaper reported that security operatives have also taken over its bureau office in Lagos.
“Security agents have taken over the bureau office of @daily_trust in Lagos in what’s so far been a coordinated siege on the news outlet. It comes hours after armed soldiers invaded @daily_trust bureau in Maiduguri and its head office in Abuja, seizing computers,” the newspaper tweeted barely two hours its Abuja and Maiduguri offices were invaded.
Security agents have taken over the bureau office of @daily_trust in Lagos in what's so far been a coordinated siege on the news outlet. It comes hours after armed soldiers invaded @daily_trust bureau in Maiduguri and its head office in Abuja, seizing computers #siegeondailytrust
Advertisement— Daily Trust (@daily_trust) January 6, 2019
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