It is no longer hidden that the Nigerian government is trying to muzzle the press. In recent times, some journalists have been abducted and detained for real and imaginary offences by security agents. Most times, the police act under the guise of enforcing the Cybersecurity Act. This is disturbing and must stop.
Alarmed by the frequency of these abductions, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), recently, issued a statement condemning the actions of security agents. The NGE called for a proper understanding and intention of the Cybersecurity Act, declaring that “the law was enacted as a legal framework for combating cybercrimes and not for persecuting journalists, who are performing their legitimate duties in a democracy.”
Last month, some policemen from Ebonyi State Police Command abducted the publisher and editor-in-chief of Global Upfront newspapers, Mr. Madu Onuorah, from his home in Abuja. After public outcry, Onuorah was released the following day on bail by the Enugu Police Command who had requested the Ebonyi police command to abduct Madu on their behalf. He was arrested for alleged defamation by a United States-based reverend sister.
On March 15, 2024, some soldiers invaded the house of the erstwhile editor of FirstNews online, Mr. Segun Olatunji, in Lagos and whisked him away. For some days, Mr. Olatunji’s family and colleagues could not account for his whereabouts. It was later discovered that it was the military that incarcerated him for a story his medium published, which was considered injurious to the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila. He was in the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Abuja for two weeks.
A journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Mr. Daniel Ojukwu, also suffered the same fate as Olatunji. He was detained last month at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Lagos, by the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector-General of Police. He was later moved to the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) in Abuja. He spent a total of nine days in detention over a petition written against him for allegedly violating the Cybercrime Act with regard to a certain story he authored. Even a Premium Times reporter, Emmanuel Agbo, was harassed over a yet-to-be published story by the newspaper. The police invited him to appear for interrogation in Abuja over the unpublished story, which involves a land dispute. There are many other examples of violation of press freedom in Nigeria in recent times.
All these are in bad taste and undermine the sanctity of our democracy. Nigeria is no more under military dictatorship. Our past military dictators enacted some obnoxious decrees, which abridged the rights of the press. Many journalists were illegally detained. Some were reportedly killed.
Today, we are under a democratic system of government which is supposed to thrive on the rule of law and freedom of the press. Unfortunately, repression of the press still festers. Between 2016 and 2020, the International Press Centre (IPC) noted that a total of 150 press freedom violations and attacks against journalists reportedly occurred in Nigeria. In recent times, some radio and television stations have been sanctioned for airing what the government considered offensive. This is why Nigeria usually scores low in the world press freedom index.
Any society that ignores or tramples on press freedom and the inalienable rights of the citizens to freedom of expression suffers untold consequences. That society never grows because citizens operate in an atmosphere of fear.
The constitution of Nigeria empowers the media to hold the government accountable. Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) states that “the press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this Chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people.” Besides, Section 39 (1) of the Constitution protects the freedom of expression in Nigeria. Different international conventions such as Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights protect the rights of journalists to do their duties without molestation. Journalists help to ensure that good governance is sustained.
We condemn the current moves to gag the press through abductions and illegal detention and insist that they must stop forthwith. There are channels where aggrieved persons can lay their complaints or seek redress. Last year, the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) and some other strategic media players established a nine-member board of the National Media Complaints Commission (NMCC), which is also known as the National Ombudsman. Aggrieved parties can go to this body for adjudication. Government should see the media as partners in progress and not adversaries. It should restrain its agencies from intimidating the press.
However, journalists should always observe the ethics of their profession. On no account should a story be published without the necessary checks and facts. The government and the press should work concertedly to rescue the country from the grip of poverty and underdevelopment.