From STEVE UZOECHI,Owerri
ORCHESTRATED clampdown on media organizations in the country, particularly America-based, Nigerian-owned online news outfits, has assumed a more worrisome dimension.
Beside the hauling of five Editors of Leadership newspaper into detention, the worst hit in the current despotic campaign seems to be the online publishers of elendureports.com and huhuonline.com, Jonathan Elendu and Emmanuel Asiwe, respectively.
While no criminal case is understood to have been preferred or established against the two affected Publishers after weeks of incarceration in both the State Security Service (SSS) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) cells, they have continued to undergo subtle subjugation in the hands of security operatives.
National Daily investigations showed that the duo are ''presently undergoing very excruciating emotional and financial difficulties as they have been unjustly separated from their work-base, sources of income, family and friends, as their travel document are still being impounded, even though they are no longer being detained.''
The systematic deprivation and abuse of the fundamental human rights of the online publishers have continued to draw widespread condemnation from a wide spectrum of human right activists who faulted the action of the Federal Government from the first day the publishers were arrested at the entry terminals into their home land over trumped-up charges that were then speculated to range from money laundering to breach of state security.
Activist lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana has described the continued detention of the two publishers as ''the increasing wave of repression in the land.''
Coordinator of the National Vanguard for Democracy Dr. Jude Ohanele is of the opinion that the initial arbitrary incarceration of the two publishers for their editorial views ''is an assault on the civil society and a retrogressive precedent that questions the real intentions of the present administration.''
This apart, he said, “Elendu and Asiwe should be handed back their travel documents and allowed to get back to their work without further molestation from the Nigerian security agencies. There are constitutional provisions on how to deal with publications that seem to embarrass the state, if seditious. Anything short of that is illegal”.
In a recent petition to the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS),signed by Ataguba Aboje and Oghenovo Otemu of Festus Keyamo chambers, a copy of which was made available to National Daily, on behalf of one of the online publishers, they demanded ''the unconditional release of Asiwe's travel documents and properties.''
The petition partly read: “Our client was due back to the United States of America on 17th October 2008 especially for medical check up. Our client's need for medical attention has been authenticated by the medical/referral report sent to you on the 18th November 2008 at 1238hrs. Our client is unable to travel outside the country because of his travel documents being seized by you, and his health condition has since worsened, since he is unable to receive the much needed expert medical attention here in Nigeria”.
The document which was copied to the Commissioner, National Human Rights Commission Abuja, the United States Consulate Abuja, the United Nations Country Office Abuja, the Commissioner, Public Complaint Commission Abuja and media organizations, further urged the SSS, in the interest of justice, ''to release Asiwe's papers, laptop, mobile phone and two complimentary cards.''
The petition maintained that the withholding of Asiwe's properties without charging him to court ''is a violation of his fundamental rights and the continued seizure of his travel documents, tantamount to depriving him of required medical attention.''
The letter however notified the SSS of the intentions to pursue the enforcement of Asiwe's fundamental human rights to the letter.
At present, Jonathan Elendu and Emmanuel Asiwe are no longer being held in detention but ''tactically being detained in Nigeria against their wishes.''
As against his one week trip for a burial, Asiwe has been forced to remain in the country indefinitely, while Elendu is suffering the same fate ''on extra-budgetary expenses amidst a frustrating waiting game by security operatives.'’
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