"Thugs and unknown gunmen followed closely the police in the number of attacks against journalists and media houses."
A civil society group, Media Right Agenda (MRA), has called on the federal government to stop the attack against journalists and to prosecute the offenders.
Ayode Longe, a programme director with the MRA, made the call at a press conference to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists in Lagos.
The United Nations General Assembly set aside 2 November every year to commemmorate the assassination of two French journalists in Mali on the same date in 2013.
He said that despite hundreds of reported attacks against journalists over the years, Nigeria has failed to hold anyone to account.
Mr Longe said that in the last year, 47 incidents of attacks against journalists, media workers, and media outlets have been collated and documented by MRA.
"Our records show that the men and officers of the Nigerian Police are the major perpetrators of these attacks as MRA documented over 15 incidents in which they were the perpetrators.
"Thugs and unknown gunmen followed closely the police in the number of attacks against journalists and media houses."
Mr Longe said this is a serious cause for concern because it gives the impression that "it is okay to harm journalists in Nigeria and that whoever does so, will get away with it because there will be no serious investigation into their actions and nothing will be done to them."
Mr Longe said the press conference is to draw the attention of the federal government to "the fact that 10 years after the UN came out with the Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, Nigeria has not taken any concrete action to stem the spate of attacks against journalists and the media in our country."
Mr Longe further said that MRA is challenging the federal government to cite any "serious investigation" or arrest or prosecution carried out against those that have attacked Nigerian journalists over time.
He said that journalists are saddled with the responsibility to ensure transparency and hold the government to account according to the constitution.
"And it is the responsibility of the government under international law to protect journalists because they are often exposed to all sorts of risks and attacks," he said.
"Unfortunately, since the beginning of this democratic dispensation on May 29, 1999, till date, MRA has collated and documented a total of 19 journalists killed and in none of these killings has the Federal Government investigated, arrested, prosecuted or brought any of the perpetrators to justice."
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Mr Longe listed the journalists in their database who were killed and whose deaths have not been resolved till date to include Edward Olalekan Ayo-Ojo - June 1, 1999; Samuel Boyi - November 5, 1999; Omololu Falobi - October 5, 2006; Godwin Agbroko - December 22, 2006; Abayomi Ogundeji - August 17, 2008; Bayo Ohu - September 20, 2009; Edo Sule-Ugbagwu - April 24, 2010; Nathan Dabat - April 24, 2010; Sunday Bwade - April 24, 2010; and Zakariya Isa - October 22-2011.
Others are Enenche Akogwu - January 20, 2012; Ikechukwu Udendu, - January 12, 2013; Famous Giobaro - April 16, 2017; Lawrence Okojie - July 8, 2017; Ikechukwu Onubogu - November 16, 2017; Precious Owolabi - July 22, 2019; Pelumi Onifade - October 2020; Titus Badejo - June 19, 2021; and Chukwu Odiahu - September 7, 2021.
