Matilda Omonaiye/
The federal government has reportedly frozen the bank account of SaharaReporters, an online publication owned by the convener of RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore.
Sowore is currently in custody of the State Security Services (SSS).
This was contained in a statement yesterday by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), in which it criticised the action of the federal government.
In the statement, CPJ quoted SaharaReporters’ chief operating officer, La Keisha Landrum Pierre, as saying the newspaper’s account with Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) was frozen in October without advance notice.
She said the account was subject to “a government hold and was not able to be operated”, adding that the development had hindered the smooth running of the newspaper.
Pierre also said SaharaReporters’ website was disabled twice due to allegations of copyright infringement, and staff reported cyber attacks and increased surveillance outside their office in Ikeja, Lagos.
The statement also quotes the publication’s news editor, Senami Kojah, as saying three vehicles carrying security officers parked outside their Lagos office during the period.
CPJ’s Africa programme coordinator, Angela Quintal, said such “act of intimidation” should not be condoned.
“Sahara Reporters must be permitted to keep the Nigerian public informed without intimidation.
“Surveillance, cyberattacks, and copyright notices against Sahara Reporters mark a concerning pattern of interference and harassment of an investigative news outlet,” she said.
Sowore was arrested on August 3 ahead of a nationwide protest against the government and charged with treasonable felony, cyberstalking and “insulting the president”.
He was released after 124 days in detention following a court order but was rearrested inside the same court less than 24 hours later.
He has remained in detention for over 56 hours without being charged with any offence.
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