Premium Times confronts Nigerian Army intimidation

PREMIUM TIMES has replied a letter sent by the Nigerian Army, threatening legal action against the newspaper for publications about the army and its chief, Tukur Buratai, a Lieutenant General.

On Wednesday, the newspaper published a letter dated December 22, written on behalf of Mr. Buratai, by I.M Alkali, a Major General, accusing PREMIUM TIMES of “unwarranted serial provocative, unauthorised, libelous and defamatory publications”.

The letter also claimed the paper published reports without reference to the army, saying the stories exposed a “deep hatred for the leadership of the Nigerian Army”.

The letter expressed displeasure with three stories published by the medium between October and December last year. The army described the stories as “false, unsubstantiated, and unprofessional” but provided no evidence to back its claim.

The letter demanded PREMIUM TIMES retract the reports and apologise to the army and Mr. Buratai.

PREMIUM TIMES, on Tuesday, through its lawyers, delivered a detailed response to the Army, affirming its stories, and unequivocally rejecting the demand for retractions and apology.

The paper, instead, asked the army to write a letter within seven days of receiving its reply, withdrawing the allegations and threats against it and its staff, or risk being sued.

Jiti Ogunye, the newspaper’s principal counsel, who signed the response, took the army to task on the “grave implications” of its letter, and describing the army’s letter as a threat to the well-being and life of PREMIUM TIMES’ staff.

“By your letter you have threatened the lives of our clients, and our clients are thus obliged to put the public on notice that should any harm come to them, you, the Chief of Army Staff and the Nigerian Army should be held accountable,” he wrote.

Mr. Ogunye said the “chilling threats” contained in the army’s letter was an affront on the constitutional guarantee of civilian control of the army and the freedom of the press.