Daily Trust issues statement on military siege

It is titled, “Military invades Daily Trust, arrests
journalists, impound computers”, but Daily Trust editor-in-chief
Mannir Dan-Ali has issued a statement on the daylong siege of three
bureaus of Daily Trust and the arrest of two journalists of the
news outlet.

“For four hours on Sunday, January 6th 2019, Armed Soldiers who
came in 5 vehicles occupied the head office of Media Trust Limited,
publishers of the Daily Trust titles sending away journalists and
other staff.

“Before the siege was called off at about 9.30 pm, the soldiers
had ransacked the newsroom and carted away dozens of computers and
effectively strangulated the production of the Monday edition of
the paper.

“Earlier in the day at about 4 pm, another detachment of
soldiers and plain cloth security officials went to the Maiduguri
regional office of the company and conducted a search at the end of
which they took away the Regional Bureau Chief, Uthman Abubakar and
a reporter, Ibrahim Sawab. Neither the company nor the families of
the 2 reporters have heard from them since.

“A production staff who was taken away from the Abuja head
office alongside our computers was released after a period of
detention at the Mogadishu barrack in Abuja.

“In Lagos, military men in 7 vehicles arrived our offices at
Textile Labour House in Agidingbi at about 9 pm and remain there
until the time of issuing this statement.

“We have not been told of the reason for the military operation
against this newspaper but suspect it may have to do with the lead
story of the Daily Trust on Sunday that dwelt on the military’s
effort to retake some towns recently reported to have been lost to
insurgents.

“Another clue is that during the invasion of our premises both
in Maiduguri and in Abuja, the military men were asking for the
reporters who wrote the story.

“Media Trust Limited condemns this unlawful act and calls on the
military authorities to release the two reporters arrested in
Maiduguri and return the dozens of computers that were taken from
our newsroom.

We also like to thank our colleagues in the media and all others
who have been calling and supporting us in our hour of need.

“We also appreciate the efforts of some government officials who
insist that there is a better way of handling relations with the
media.”