Journalists harassed in Nigeria
Date: 2003
Region: Africa
Subject: Political/Economic/Social Opinion Other
Medium: Print Journalism
Artist: Jeff Koinange and Simon Matiri
Confronting Bodies: Nigerian secret police
Date of Action: October 2003
Location: Nigeria
Description of Artwork: Work of varying issues produced by foriegn journalists or international organizations.
The Incident: Nigerian secret police threatened to deport two foriegn journalists, Jeff Kionange, the west African bureau chief of CNN, and his cameraman, Simon Matiri. Koinange and Matiri were held for several hours on arrival at Lagos' International Airport. The two men were approached by a group of police and immigration officials who told them that they were to leave on the next flight from Nigeria. Matiri was slapped to the ground when he tried to videotape the incident.
Results of Incident: The journalists were allowed to stay in the country. According to Koinange, "at least they corrected it quickly, and it was good to see that." The Nigerian government is still trying to improve its reputation for freedom of press violations.
Source: www.nytimes.com