THISDAY Editor, Nduka Obaigbena, Writes EFCC Over N670m Compensation

Mr Nduka Obaigbena, President Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria and Chairman, Editor-in-Chief, THISDAY Newspapers Group, yesterday wrote the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to further clarify the payments of N670 million compensation to Thisday newspapers and members of Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN, following Boko Haram attack on Thisday office and confiscation of copies of newspapers and circulation vans of newspaper houses.

In his letter, Mr Obaigbena explained how the compensation was arrived at following an agreement for out-of-court settlement and how the payment was made by the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA.

He told the anti-graft commission that the newspaper houses “were victims of a horrendous terrorist attack and should not be victimized any further as the terrorists will be celebrating what we are now being put through.”

According to him, “We do not deserve further trauma because some official(s), outside of our control, may or may not have followed due process. All victims of terrorist attack deserve a fair and just compensation. The fact that we have received some remedy should be reason to accelerate compensation for all victims of Boko Haram attacks across Nigeria, however big or small. We never wished this upon ourselves. The central purpose of government is the security of life and property of all citizens. And the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as other international law instruments and conventions of which Nigeria is a signatory underscores this – and in fact requires that we receive effective remedy and compensation”.