SSS raids CNN Lagos office

THE Cable News Network (CNN), on Monday afternoon, demanded explanations from the Nigerian government over the invasion of its Lagos offices by State Security Service (SSS) agents. The agents were said to have forced their way into the offices of the CNN and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) at noon to stop them from further reporting on the street protests over the removal of fuel subsidy by the Nigerian government.In a posting on its Twitter handle, the CNN wrote: “Nigerian authorities enter CNN Lagos bureau unannounced today. No raids occur. CNN requests explanation and continues to report as usual.”

In postings on its BBC Newshour handle, the BBC wrote: “We’re investigating reports that secret service have forced their way into CNN, BBC building in Lagos, Nigeria.

“We’re talking to our Lagos bureau team now to find out what’s going on. Security services leave BBC, CNN building in Lagos. Correspondent tells us Nigeria wants to keep media on a “short finger.”

A foreign journalist, Sami Sirhan, had also reported the invasion of the media organisations’ offices by the SSS on his Twitter blog.

But, hours after a Nigerian newspaper reported the story, the BBC’s Communications Manager, News, Karen Rosine, said that it had found out that SSS operatives did not enter its offices.

She said although it appeared that SSS agents visited the building where the BBC’s offices are located, the medium was not affected.

“Agents appeared to have visited the building but not the BBC office within it,” she wrote.

Meanwhile, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai allegedly had it rough with the police yesterday when he reportedly attempted to pass through a blockaded road in Abuja.

According to the reports, problem started when el-Rufai’s police escort attempted to remove the barricade on a road and was stopped by a team of military men.

Attempts by el-Rufai`s men to film the encounter allegedly led to near deflation of Rufai’s vehicle and dramatic confrontation between the former minister and the security personnel.

Nigerian Tribune was told that the minister was later allowed to turn back and take the normal route, even as those who accompanied him claimed that he was molested by the security men.

Efforts to reach the former minister, however, were unsuccessful as his phone was switched off.

The Abuja police command, however, denied having any encounter at all with the former minister, saying that el-Rufai was never arrested nor brutalised by security agents.






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