It said it was keenly aware that a free press was vital to the success of democracy anywhere in the world.

Minister of Information and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this in a statement in Abuja.

Mohammed was particularly referring to the arrest of the Publisher of an online medium, Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi and a
reporter working for the paper, Ms. Evelyn Okakwu, by the police in Abuja last week.

He said the issue that led to the arrest of the two journalists was a personal one and that it had nothing to do with the government.

He said even the Federal Government would not even tamper with the social media despite its shortcomings.

He said, “The Federal Government will not do anything to stifle press freedom, because it is keenly aware that a free press is vital to the success of any democracy.

“The Federal Government has nothing to do with the recent arrest of Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi, Publisher of the online newspaper Premium Times, and a reporter working for the paper, Ms. Evelyn Okakwu.”

He said the whole issue of the journalists’ arrest is purely a private affair involving a citizen and a privately-owned newspaper, and wondered how that could now be construed as an attempt by the government to intimidate the press.

The minister said, “We have said it before and we want to re-state it: The Federal Government has no immediate or long-term plan to stifle press freedom.

“Even the social media, with its warts and all, will neither be regulated nor have its operations tampered with.”

.Punch