A vendor who spoke
on the condition of anonymity told Vanguard that a group of soldiers accosted
him and some of his colleagues demanding them to disclose the identity of the
publishers of the Biafra newspapers circulating in the city.
Vanguard gathered
that one of the vendors identified as Emeka is suspected to have been arrested
by soldiers.
Recall that soldiers attached to the 144 Battalion Asa, Ukwa West
Council area, had on March 14, 2016, confiscated unsold and new editions of
pro- Biafra newspapers; New Republic, Vesym, Freedom Journal, including copies
of Authority newspapers in Aba. Some of
the vendors have devised strategies to conceal and sell the pro Biafra
newspapers and magazines which are in hot demand in the city. Pro Biafra
newspapers sell more than national newspapers in Aba.
A publisher, who declined
to be named for fear of reprisal, in an interview with Vanguard, condemned the
action of the military, and denied that pro Biafra newspapers incite hatred
among the people, stressing that they only publish Biafra stories as some
national dailies do.
“We are publishing only reports about Biafra like other
national dailies do. Let the military go and close down all the media houses
because they are carrying Biafra stories, after all, we are not the only people
publishing stories on Biafra.”
As at the time of filing this report, efforts to
get the reaction of the Army Public Relations Officer, 14 Brigade Ohafia, Major
Sidney Mbaneme, proved abortive as his mobile number was unavailable.
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