Managing editor, Moussa Aksar, and reporter Sani Aboubacar, of LEvénement, an independent weekly newspaper in Niger have been arrested and detained at Niamey Civil Prison for allegedly defaming Foukori Ibrahim, Manging Director of Niger Electricity Company of (NIGELEC), sub-regional rights body, Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), said in a communique Monday. According to the Accra-based media freedom watchdog, the two were arrested 12 November, after appearing before a Prosecutor at Niamey Magistrate Court to answer defamation charges brought against them by Foukori. MFWA said the two journalists are being tried summarily, contrary to the Nigerien media laws. In its 29th September edition reportedly headlined: Death of Dutch Consul in Niger: Foukori in a mess, the Evénement alleged that Smith Dégénère, the Dutch consul, died shortly in Foukori’s office after the latter had shown gross disrespect towards him. The article written by reporter Aboubacar stated that Dégénère and his wife had gone to the office to complain about frequent power outages which had resulted in damages to their electrical equipment.
