Police arrest journalists in Akwa Ibom

The police yesterday arrested some journalists during a morning raid on a printing establishment in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.

In what some people have described as the effort of the state government to muzzle media establishment known to be strong critics of government ahead of today’s state elections, policemen numbering about 12 were said to have stormed Aswill printing press ,located along Akpan Etuk Street, in Uyo at about 12am on Monday.

Managing Editor of Pivot Newspapers, Clifford Thomas, who was one of the persons arrested by the police at the printing press, said the men came in fully armed and asked to see the manager and director of the establishment.

The manager, the director and some other staff of the press were taken away by the police. Mr Thomas and his staff were subsequently released when no incriminating evidence against the government was found in their publication.

During the raid, Mr Thomas and his men were ordered to sit on the floor, their phones and other communication gadgets were seized. Narrating his experience to NEXT, Mr Thomas said the leader of the police team told him that the deputy commissioner of Police instructed them to come to the printing press and check for anything that might be construed as an attack on the state governor.