Security opperatives on Sunday have arrested the Regional Editor of Daily Trust newspaper, Uthman Abubakar and a reporter, Ibrahim Sawab in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
The arrest was in connection with a report published by the media organisation on Sunday.
According to Daily Trust on Sunday evening, some residents of Maiduguri area where the media house has its office have narrated how armed soldiers arrested the regional editor and a reporter.
An eye witness told Daily Trust that the DSS stormed the newspaper’s office in two vehicles and asked the security guards the whereabouts of the reporters.
When told no one was around, the DSS operatives left but later returned as a combined team of DSS, Army and Civil Defence officers in some vehicles, the eye witness reported.
Relaying further, he said when the security men again said no one was around, they got furious and seized the phones of two security guards and got access to the office.
According to another witness, the security operatives met the regional editor, Uthman Abubakar, and a reporter, Ibrahim Sawab, in the office.
“They seized their phones and laptops and thereafter arrested them and took them away. They also locked the main gate of the office.
“Minutes later, some policemen in two vans went to the office also. They are there presently,” he said.
It was gathered that a story published on Sunday had caused the clampdown.
The security operatives had asked for the Political Editor, Hamza Idris whose by-line was said to have appeared on the story.
Meanwhile, while the media organisation could not reach the Nigerian Army spokesman, Brigadier General Sani Usman to request the whereabouts of the journalists whisked away, a text mesage was sent to him.
The message reads:
“Sir, the regional office of Media Trust in Maiduguri was shut down by the military and the regional editor and staff reporters were arrested by the military and taken away to an unknown destination and the phones of two guards were seized, we want to know the offence committed that warrants the shutdown of the media house? We want to know where those arrested have been taken to because we fear for their well-being.”
