Nigeria
Nigeria sends journalist to prisonPosted Feb 11 2008
A Nigerian court pressed criminal charges on Jan. 25 against a newspaper distributor, Essien Asuquo Owoh, over a story not yet published. The court sentenced the company to prison after the article criticized the Akwa Ibom state governor, according to local journalists.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Owoh pleaded not guilty to charges of sedition and “conspiracy to distribute copies of Fresh Facts newspaper with the intent to bring hatred or contempt to the governor of the state,” but was taken to prison.
“The arrest of Essien Auquo Owoh is outright censorship and is unacceptable in a country engaged in a historic democratic transition,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “We call on the prosecution to drop these criminal charges and release Owoh immediately.”
CPJ reports that since the administration of Akwa Ibom Gov. Akpabio took power last year, it has blocked stories with charges of state corruption or mismanagement.