From Ndubuisi orji, Abuja, Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti and Magnus Eze, Abuja

The anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has come under fire over yesterday’s invasion of the corporate headquarters of The Sun Publishing Limited.

    During the over one-hour siege, gun-totting goons from the EFFC, who claimed to be acting on order from above, harassed workers and disrupted production process.

     Those who reacted to the invasion, yesterday, included Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, the Nigeria Guild of Editor (NGE), Nigeria Union of Journalist, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Campaign for the Defence of Human Right, lawyers and activists. 

The seige, Governor Fayose said, was an indication that the country had slipped into dictatorship.

He was particularly miffed that the acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu chose to use the Commission to settle personal scores with The Sun, having threatened to sue the outfit over its report on a property allegedly traced to his (Magu) wife.

“Nigerians, especially the media should remember that when they started with the Directorate of State Services (DSS) invasion of Akwa Ibom State Government House and later the Ekiti State House of Assembly, I warned then that no one will be spared eventually. When they invaded judges’ residences in the night and arrested them like terrorists, I also warned that the media will be next.

“By invading The Sun Newspapers today (yesterday) and holding the staff hostage for hours, it is clear that EFCC under Magu has become a monster that is capable of consuming the rights of Nigerians to freedom of expression.”

He expressed regret that after experiencing democracy for 18 years, the media was again being visited with the kind of tyranny witnessed under the military.

“It has, therefore, become necessary that Nigerians, irrespective of their political parties must rise in condemning  invasion of The Sun Newspapers. The media must also rise against this EFCC tyranny and particularly in solidarity with The Sun Newspapers because it is The Sun Newspapers today, no one knows which media organisation will be next,” the governor, said through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka.

It’s an affront–Guild

The NGE, in a statement signed by its president, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, said the invasion was a sad reminder of the dark years of military dictatorship and a deliberate effort to muzzle the press.

“As a statutory agency birthed by an Act of Parliament in a democracy, we had expected the EFCC to explore civil means of addressing perceived infraction by a critical stakeholder in the Nigerian democratic project.

“Rather than see the Fourth Estate of the Realm as an opposition, the Commission should realise that the media is an indispensable partner in its fight against corruption.”

The Guild noted that the latest affront on The Sun by operatives of the EFCC was one in a number of targeted attempts by a section of the nation’s security apparatchik to gag free press.

It recalled the recent expulsion of Mr. Olalekan Adetayo, the State House correspondent of Punch Newspapers from Aso Rock by Bashir Abubakar, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The alleged forfeiture order the EFCC brandished this morning is 10 years old and a matter still before the Court of Appeal. The Guild wonders why the Commission felt it had to act ahead of a case before a court of competent jurisdiction.

“It bears restating that such an attempt to intimidate the media does incalculable damage to the image of the EFCC and indeed  the Nigerian government. Besides, it does not only undermine the foundation of our young democracy, it is a major threat to its sustenance and existence.

“The Guild condemns the EFCC’s action in its entirety and calls on the Commission to purge itself of all anti-democratic tendencies in order to foster mutual cooperation with the media and other stakeholders in its crusade against graft.

“The Guild calls on the EFCC to put an end to its current attempts to gag the press and also demands an unreserved apology from the Commission to The Sun Publishing Limited.”

Brigandage carried too far –Ozekhome

The constitutional lawyer and human rights activist described the EFCC as anti-democratic siege and brigandage carried too far.

His statement read: “The just reported siege on The Sun Newspapers in purported execution of a court attachment order smacks of executive lawlessness and official brigandage.

“I am not surprised at all at the invasion, viet armis, by force of arms.The reason is that I had, like Nostradamus, predicted and  warned, few months

ago, that after  browbeating and messing up the legislature, cowering and intimidating the judiciary, the next port of call by the all conquering Executive will be the press,the Fourth Estate of the Realm.

“Some people thought that I was being alarmist because that appeared too far fetched. Now, we are there. Going by the questions the recipients of this barbaric act of intimidation were said to have been asked at The Sun premises, the invasion is targeted at total clampdown on the Nigerian press towards unhindered press censorship.

“How can a matter in which an appeal has been entered and both parties are already slugging it out at the Court of Appeal ground levy of execution or attachment, before judgment of the appellate court is finally delivered? Such crude reprobate action suggests total descent to anarchy and unbridled dictatorship and totalitarianism.

“I am getting more and more worried, nay, scared of the directionlessness and undemocratic tendencies of this government.That reminds me of the locusts days of military juntas, when might was right and rule of the thumb was enthroned over the rule of law.

“The Sun titles are unarguably some of the very best in this country. Their objectivity in reportage, balancing of contending views, patriotic, pan-Nigerian  analysis, fairness in editorials and  incisiveness by columnists, are second to none.”

He called on the EFCC to immediately remove the siege from The Sun premises, return all seized items and embrace the path of honour and due process in carrying out its functions.

Worst than Hitler’s Nazis -Fani-Kayode

In his reaction, former minister of Aviation, Fani-Kayode said the raid was not only barbaric, irresponsible, crude but also a shameless power-show by a weak, dying, paranoid and nervous government.

The statement read: “I am not in the least bit surprised by this development because that is the way this government has been behaving for the last two years.

“If it is not the homes and offices of opposition figures that they are raiding for no just cause it is that of judges, National Assembly members, bloggers, writers and journalists.

“They do not know how to run a country and their incompetence is not only self-evident but it also speaks volumes.

“They are always threatening the most basic freedoms of the Nigerian people attempting to destroy and malign them.

“The truth is that they want to turn Nigeria into a police state and to intimidate everyone and anyone that is ready to expose their evil, and that speaks truth about their abominable record of performance in office. In this respect they are worst than Hitler’s Nazis.

“What they fail to appreciate is that they will not be in power forever and that governments come and governments go.

“One day they themselves will be subjected to this kind of wickedness and they will be the ones on the receiving end of this type of evil.

“I am surprised that Acting President Osinbajo, who I have some respect for, can sit by and allow such things to happen under his watch.

“The EFCC and any other government security or intelligence agency ought to be encouraged to do their job but they must operate within the confines of decency and the law.

“They are not above the law and they should stop breaking it and operating with impunity. They should stop violating the human rights and civil liberties of the Nigerian people in the course of their duty.

“The Acting President should call them to order and keep them on a tight leash. This government must be made to understand that nobody is intimidated by the antics of these gutless and cowardly bullies or by their Gestapo tactics.

“The worse they can do is to kill and they can only do that if God permits it.

“They are heartless, wicked, contemptuous, crooked, full of poison and evil and God will punish them for their lies and the wickedness that they continue to inflict on good and decent innocent men and women all over this country.

“Yet whatever they choose to do let it be clearly understood that an attack on the media, the press, free speech and press freedom is an attack on us all and we will resist it with every fibre of our being.

“We cannot be muscled, muzzled or silenced and they have absolutely no right to behave in this barbaric and unlawful manner.

“I condemn this shameless raid and I urge The Sun Newspaper and ALL other media houses, both online and offline, not to allow themselves to be intimidated or cowered into submission.

“It is only a matter of time before this evil darkness that has gripped our nation and that torments our people passes.”

Apologise or be sued -NUJ

In its reaction to what it termed “this ugly development”, the National President of the NUJ, Abdulwaheed Odusile, said the union was worried that at a time when the Nigerian security forces needed the support and cooperation of the media in fighting terrorism, corruption and other criminal activities, the media was being attacked by the same security operatives.

“There can be no valid explanation to this act of intimidation by the EFCC which swooped on the premises of the newspapers, preventing the staff from either gaining entrance or exit. This unfortunately led to the disruption of operations particularly the circulation of the newspapers,” Odusile said. 

The NUJ president stated that in a democracy, security personnel should not be seen to be intimidating the media no matter the perceived offence, rather civilised means and ways should be employed to check any excesses or misdemeanour.

It becomes more disheartening, according to NUJ President, when such an invasion was carried out without any cogent reason, thus giving the impression that the action was merely a political act aimed at instilling fear into the organisation.

“The Union regrets this violation of press freedom and freedom of journalists to work without being molested. The EFCC will do well to unconditionally apologise for this untoward act in the interest of our democracy because the media remain the only voice of the masses,” Odusile cautioned.

But the Lagos State council of the NUJ threatened to sue the EFCC if it failed to tender a public apology for the “unwarranted, barbaric and Gestapo-like invitation” within 72 hours.

The Council in a statement issued by the Chairman, Deji Elumoye, said the invasion had infringed on the fundamental human rights of the workers whose movement in and out of the company was curtailed by security operatives for over an hour

“This is a great violation of the freedom of movement and association of the affected Nigerian citizens as entrenched in the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended,” the Union said.

The Lagos NUJ added that if The Sun as a media outfit had erred or had issues with the EFCC or anybody/organisation, the court of law was the proper place to seek redress “rather than taking the laws into their hands as EFCC just did.”

Assault on democracy –PDP

As far as the PDP is concerned, there is no justification whatsoever for the invasion.

According to the party spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, even if the EFCC had any problem with the publisher of the newspaper, it was not an excuse to invade the newspaper house, especially as it is a corporate entity.

“It goes to show what we have been saying that this government is turning the country into a dictatorship. This is a dastardly action and it is highly condemnable. It is an assault on democracy. When you attack a media house, you attack free speech, which is a fundamental ingredient of democracy.

“If you have anything against the publisher, sort it out with him. The newspaper is a corporate entity. And if the newspaper has done anything wrong, charge it to court under the relevant law. To invade the media house in a Gestapo manner is highly condemnable,” the PDP, stated.

Return to dark era -Afenifere

The pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, said: “It is unfortunate that we are back to the gulag days in Nigeria with this unconscionable raid. We had thought these crude tactics are gone with the military. The EFCC owes Nigerians explanation for this misconduct,” the National Publicity Secretary of group Yinka Odumakin, said.

Lawyers warn against self-help

Lawyers in Abuja also condemned the EFCC’s action. Co-convener, Centre Against Brutality and for Safety of Journalists in Africa (CABSOJA), Ugochukwu Ezekiel advised the Agency to wait for the outcome of the appeal instead of resorting to self-help.

“We are aware that there are laid down procedures for enforcement of court orders, assuming such order is subsisting and there is no appeal against same. Self-help is not allowed in our jurisprudence.

“We advise the Commission to wait for the outcome of any appeal filed by The Sun Newspapers. If we must fight corruption, we must do that within the ambit of the law. Nigerians should and will resist any attempt to muscle the fourth estate of the realm,” CABSOJA stated.

Another lawyer, Imo Valentine of Apex Chambers advised the EFCC to wait for the decision of the court on the contending issues.

“It will be very disappointing and condemnable if the EFCC obtained such order under subterfuge to execute a personal agenda. Even under this scenario, it is only the court that can determine what rights have been violated and award appropriate damages. We must prevail on all law enforcement agencies to always locate their actions within the ambit of our laws in order to engender a peaceful society, Valentine stated.

YJF, CDHR react

President of Young Journalists Forum (YJF), Chukwuma Nze enjoined The Sun not to allow the assault deter it from being the voice of the people.

Chairman of the CDHR, Ogun State, Yinka Folarin, cautioned the EFCC to always conduct its activities within the ambit of the Nigerian law.

“The anti-graft agency should know that the press has the constitutional rights and guarantee to publish without any harassment. Nigerians must rise to join in the condemnation,” Folarin said.

Sina Leremikan, coordinator, Campaign Against Impunity in Nigeria (CAIN) said the invasion was another disguise attack on free media and desperate move by government to weaken the media, which must be condemned.