In what observers have described as “portents of a dangerous phase,” President Goodluck Jonathan has bared his fangs against the media by unleashing the police on LEADERSHIP over a recent exclusive story on a “presidential directive” targeting the opposition and containing plans to raise petrol prices, among other things.

Between Wednesday when the newspaper first published the story and yesterday, police officers have visited the newspaper’s head office in Abuja three times, demanding to see the journalists who wrote the story.

The psychological siege climaxed yesterday with a summons to the newspaper to appear at Force Headquarters in Abuja this morning.

“It is an irony that Jonathan who, as vice president, benefitted from this newspaper’s principled stand when the cabal under President Umaru Yar’Adua tried to block him from assuming power, is now using the same discredited rulebook to intimidate the press. This strong arm tactics will not work,” a media observer said yesterday.

In a letter dated April 7, 2013 of CR:3000/X/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.49/34 and signed by one Danlami Mohammed, a deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Administration, entitled: “Investigation Activities Police Invitation”, the police authorities summoned the trio of our group news editor Tony Amokeodo and two correspondents, Chibuzor Ukaibe and Taiwo Ogunmola-Omilani, to report to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police ‘D’ Department today over the said story.

The letter was addressed to the chairman, LEADERSHIP Group Limited.

The letter reads in part: “This office is investigating the circumstances leading to your Front Page publication entitled, “Outrage Trails Presidential Directive On Tinubu, APC” and a sub-title captioned

‘Bromide of the Presidential Directive.’ Based on our fact finding efforts, you are hereby requested to release the above mentioned reporters to interview the Deputy Inspector General of Police ‘D’ Department (FCID) on Monday, 8th April, 2013 at 1000hours.”

In the presidential directive, dated March 26, 2013, and exclusively published by LEADERSHIP, Jonathan had hinted at plans to target the business interests of the ACN national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and to frustrate the merger of the opposition parties at all costs.

He had said in the directive that petrol prices would be increased from the present N97 per litre to between N130 and N140, but that public opinion should first be gauged on the matter.

In response to rapid-fire denials by presidential spokesmen, Dr. Doyin Okupe and Dr. Reuben Abati, LEADERSHIP said it stood by its story and would not be intimidated by Jonathan’s attempt to curb press freedom.

http://www.leadership.ng/nga/articles/51638/2013/04/08/jonathan_unleashes_police_leadership.html

The media have been bought over by disgruntled political losers we call opposition.
Imagine such a fake piece they called presidential directive. Besides, it was very funny that even Liar
Muhammed had to call a press conference to raise an alarm about a concocted presidential directive.

The presidency/police should immediately institute legal action against the media house since they have evidence that publication was false, and that the journalists have committed an infraction contrary to the law instead of any strong arm tactics and political pranks of "beginning without end" police investigation and unlawful detention. Only the court can compel them to reveal their source!

take dat: .

u don reserve space abi? Just incase the thread hits front page abi?

take dat: .

Thought you dared GEJ to take action to prove that the document is fake?

GEJ should show no Mercy. The office of the president cant be ridiculed like this. lailai

slimghost:

Thought you dared GEJ to take action to prove that the document is fake?

Is that not the appropriate thing to do, and what the police is currently doing? Investigate where the presidential directive emanated from, and if it was forged by the media house. The most important thing is to institute legal action against them, and not police investigation and unlawful detention!

take dat: Is that not the appropriate thing to do, and what the police is currently doing? Investigate where the presidential directive emanated from, if it was from a mole in the presidency or Leadership forged it claiming its a presidential directive!

That's why they are inviting the reporters over for questioning? Is that not the first step sir?

Just as rightly predicted, it is now Jonathan 'unleashing' police on Leadership Newspaper.

What this purveyor of mischief fail to realize is that where there right end is where another's right start. Freedom of speech does not mean shouting fire! Fire! where there is none.

Some of us claim to know what we don't know in this country. What Leadership News published amounts to incitement of the public against the president and the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

We shouldn't because of our myopic political ambitions or for the interest of a greedy few do things that will cause havoc in this country! On this note I urge the Attorney General of the Federation to bring an action against the Newspaper and its editors. Enough is enough!

good next they should invite abati and co and also thr first lady for lying to migeria and misleading the ciTizenry and also wasting public funds. In germany

banki: good next they should invite abati and co and also thr first lady for lying to migeria and misleading the ciTizenry and also wasting public funds. In germany

Your parents should be ashamed of you! like seriously

slimghost:

Your parents should be ashamed of you! like seriously

Many news papers, civil societies and groups that fought for him has now become his enemies and peaple that realy sat on the fence during his strugle are now his friends. I remember PM News, sahara reporter, Lagos/Ibadan expressway news papers, Tunde Bakare's group, Wole Soyinka's group, Dora Akuyili, Obi ezekuezeli and Alao Akala+Rotimi Amechi from governor's forum are now being treated like bad peaple, where as some peaple who we never know during the strugle are his best friends.
My advice to him is to becareful of those friends and look at his so call enemies.

Even if the stories are false, you do not send police any security agency after the media. Only dictators do that. If you have problems with a stories. Go to court and sue for libel.

How many lies the Presidency told Nigerian?

slimghost:

Your parents should be ashamed of you! like seriously

What do my parents have to do with the fact that patience jonathan lied abat

arrest them. That leadership newspaper have mislead me by quoting an article That * Aguleri attacked Kogi* from all indication its clear that the reverse is the case

go go go Mr President and crack the p1ss h0le Leadership newspaper.

GEJ has finally decided to show us his tyrannical side.