Andrew Berends, a documentary filmmaker, was arrested by Nigerian authorities are filming in the country's oil region. He was released 36 hours later, but faces more questions. According to the AP, the Nigerian military spokesman Lt. Col Sagir Musa said, "He had no security clearance. It is for his own safety. If something happens to him it’s an embarrassment to the security agencies... The S.S.S. will investigate him and once they are satisfied they will release him, God willing.” However, Reporters Without Borders says Berends was "doing his job... It is absurd for the authorities to think that, by arresting him and his interpreter, they can conceal the economic and ecological disaster unfolding in the Niger Delta.” Espionage carries a death sentence in Nigeria. Here's the CIA Factbook on Nigeria.
Published Sep 2, 2008
Modified Sep 2, 2008
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