Police detectives Wednesday morning ransacked the The Nation’s Abuja office following the arrest of four editors of the paper on Tuesday.
Two of the arrested editors, Managing Editor, Northern Operations, Yusuf Alli and Head of Abuja Bureau, Yomi Odunuga were brought to the office early Wednesday morning by four plain clothe officers who searched their offices and desk tops of computers in the open office .
Some documents were printed from the computers after which the detectives reportedly headed for the editors houses to continue their search.
The Deputy Editor, Mr. Lawal Ogienagbon, who attended to security operatives from the Force CID, who came to the Lagos office on Tuesday was arrested alongside the News Editor of the newspaper’s weekend titles, Mr Dapo Olufade.
Lawal was flown into Abuja last night after his statement was taken at the Force CID in Lagos. An Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), was assigned to follow him.
Olufade was still being held in Lagos along with the company’s lawyer, Mr. John Unachukwu, the Chief Security Officer (CSO), Mr. Jide Adegbenjo and the Labour Correspondent, Mrs. Dupe Olaoye Oshinkolu, who volunteered to follow their colleagues. They were also asked to make statements, after which they were detained.
Though the police team did not disclose why the editors were arrested, it is believed that it was not unconnected with the lead story of The Nation on October 4, headlined “Obasanjo’s ‘secret’ letter to Jonathan stirs anger. Ex-President seeks sack of PTDF chief four others”.
The former President had in a chat with aviation reporters the following day, denied the authorship of such letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, threatening legal action against the newspaper. But The Nation stood by its story.