News
Rivers Newspaper Vendors Protest Police Harassment, Detention
VENDORS under the aegis of the Newspaper Distributors Association of Nigeria, Rivers State Chapter, have embarked on strike over alleged incessant harassment, unwarranted arrest and detention by the police.
The vendors, who took their protest to the State Police Command said that most times, their newspapers were seized by policemen and added that efforts to make the police authorities to stop their men from harassing them had been fruitless
Our correspondent observed the absence of newspaper vendors on Agip, Whimpey, New GRA, Azikiwe road and Rumuola.
Secretary of the association, Mr Imoh Micah, told our source that newspaper vendors were finding it difficult to sell their papers without a hitch in Port Harcourt and neighbouring areas.
Micah explained that contrary to the claim by some policemen that they (vendors) were causing traffic jam on major roads in the state capital, Oyigbo and Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, his members had been law abiding.
He said, “We have gone to show our grievance at the Rivers State Police Command; we have gone to tell them that we are not criminals and we should not be treated like criminals. You can see that we are not selling newspapers today.
“Vendors are embarking on a day warning strike because we are tired of being arrested and detained by the police. As I speak with you, some of our newspapers are at Miniokoro Police Station.
“Recently, the DPO of Kala Police Station in Obio/Akpor LGA ordered that we (three executive members of the association) should be detained when we went there to demand that our seized newspapers should be released to us.
“Again, three of our members were sometime ago harassed, arrested and detained by the police in Oyigbo. It was a journalist from one of the national media organisations that ensured that two persons were released; that was after a Pastor had paid N10,000 for the third person to be freed by the police.”
Describing newspaper vendors as carriers of information, the association’s secretary wondered why policemen would tag them criminals for doing their legitimate and harmless job of distributing and selling newspaper.
Micah, however, appealed to the state government to prevail on the task force against illegal trading to exempt his members from those involved in illegal trading on the roads, saying, “We are not illegal traders.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.