Troops from the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army yesterday invaded the Maiduguri Regional Office of the Media Trust, the publishers of Daily Trust newspaper and quizzed two of its managers following a story published by the medium.
The newspaper alongside other media outfit had published a story on alleged mutiny by troops from the division earlier in the week, which drew the ire of the Nigeria Army.
It was gathered from staff of the establishment in Maiduguri that about eight soldiers led by the newly deployed spokesman of the 7 Division, Colonel Sani Usman stormed their office located along Baga road at about 12 noon, requesting for the writer of the story.
When the writer could not be provided, the troops quizzed the Regional Operation Manager, Jamilu Aliyu and the out-going operational manager, Aminu Ado to the division office on the order of the acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the division, Brigadier General M.Y Ibrahim.
The duo were however released about an hour later after interrogation.
Both Aliyu and Ado, recounting their experience later, said they were threatened by the commander who repeatedly warned he medium to stop unnecessary criticisms of the military in the newspaper’s reports.
Meanwhile, a letter signed by the division spokesman, Col Usman and left at the Maiduguri office of the Daily Trust warned the newspaper to retract the story.
The letter warned that “failure to do so would henceforth attract sanctions”. It is also stated that “over time your paper has been unnecessarily critical of the military without cross-checking your facts with the formation,” even against the backdrop of the division unreadiness to give any information to journalists having centralized all information dissemination on insecurity in the state to the military authority at the defence headquarters.
Source: Thisday
