Why Nigerian military blocks newspapers distribution in Abuja, Lagos

The Nigerian military on Saturday continued its onslaught on newspapers by sealing off the popular major distribution depot in the Area 1 District of Abuja, from where all newspapers are distributed to agents and vendors across the Nigerian capital. Witnesses said soldiers in about seven trucks laid siege on the distribution point, preventing any kind of newspaper circulation from taking place.

The military attack on Nigerian newspapers commenced on Friday with soldiers confiscating thousands of Nigerian newspapers including Leadership, The Nation, and Punch newspapers.

Media houses promptly devised an alternate and secret means to ensure their papers get to the public in the Nigerian capital promptly; a reminder of the days of military dictatorship.

Nigerian Military moves against Leadership Newspaper; soldiers seize consignment heading for North, South

In what appears a throwback to Nigeria’s dark days of military dictatorship, some soldiers who reportedly claimed they were acting on orders from above have confiscated today’s edition of Leadership Newspaper heading to the Northwest, Southeast and South-south regions of the country, an official of the paper has said.

Azubike Ishiekwene, managing director of the Leadership Group, said soldiers mounting a roadblock close to the tollgate along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway blocked the newspaper’s van heading to Kaduna and confiscated the entire consignment of the paper.