Beckiux

Obasanjo’s Secret Letter: Police Raid The NATION Newspaper, Arrests Editors

 

caption: Former president Olusegun Obasanjo

By SaharaReporters, New York

Barely a week after publishing a story on a strange letter written by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan, the presidency today bared its fangs on THE NATION Newspapers.
Based on the prompting of Nigerian leader and some hawks in the presidency, Inspector general of police, Hafiz Ringim ordered the Force Criminal Investigation Department(FCID) to summon the Editor of THE NATION, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso for interrogation on “forgery.”
Before Mr. Omotosho could answer the summons, policemen raided the offices of the NATION in Abuja today and took away the managing editor of its Northern Operations, Alhaji Yusuf Alli.
Omotoso, who is presently on a short break in the United Kingdom, has been asked to report at the ‘D’ Department (FCID) since Friday. He is to report to one Superintendent Udoh Joseph.
Curiously, the letter of invitation was dropped on Thursday night at the Abuja office of THE NATION for 1100 hours interrogation last Friday.
The letter, signed by DCP D.D. Gimba (a Deputy Commissioner of Police for Commissioner of Police ‘X’ Squad) was obtained by SAHARAREPORTERS.
The letter said: “This office is investigating a case of forgery emanating from a letter published on the front page of your newspaper; Volume 7 No. 1904 of Wednesday October 5, 2011 under the captioned (sic) “Obasanjo denies letter to Jonathan” and “THE LETTER OBASANJO DENIED.”
“In continuation of our facts finding efforts, you are hereby invited to interview the Deputy Commissioner of Police, X-Squad Section at the premises of the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Area 10, Garki-Abuja on Friday, the 7th day of October, 2011 at 1100 hours in the morning.
“Your presence is vital to the prompt determination of this case. On arrival, contact the undersigned officer, please.”
The counsel to THE NATION, erudite Femi Falana however on Monday wrote a letter to the FCID that the Editor, Gbenga Omotoso was unavoidably available because he is out of the country.
He also asked the police to unveil the complainants whose petitions led to the allegation of forgery.
A source said: “Falana is battle ready for any legal action initiated by Obasanjo against the newspaper. The court action will assist to revisit many issues bordering on the moral rights or pedigree of Obasanjo to sue for libel.”
Still undaunted, the police managed to link up with the Editor in London who asked his Abuja Bureau Chief, Yomi Odunuga to meet with the Investigation Officer, Superintendent Udoh Joseph on Monday. But Joseph asked Odunuga to report by noon on Tuesday.
SAHARAREPORTERS however discovered that the invitation was at the prompting of the presidency because the Special Adviser to the President on Publicity and Communication, Dr. Reuben Abati reportedly placed a call to the management of THE NATION on Wednesday to demand the sources of the letter. The management said it was unethical to do so.
A panting Abati, who appeared to have set the tone for the police action, had asked what if the letter was forged. The management said that is left to the court to determine.
But Abati could not make any breakthrough in uncovering the sources before jetting out with the President on his shuttles to Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Ghana on Wednesday.
Some government officials were shocked that the presidency stepped into an issue capable of generating bad blood between the North and the South. Especially at a time another newspaper, Dailytrust, revelaed that the Jonathan presidency had taken most of federal projects to its zone-the South South -leaving other regions without federal project.