These cases were largely related to political events which hit a peak in the first quarter of 2023.

The Press Attack tracker in the first quarter of 2023 tracked and verified 45 cases of harassment and infringements suffered by journalists in Nigeria, fueling troubling concerns about press freedom and human rights in Africa's largest democracy. The Q1 2023 press attack number marked an alarming increase as it surpassed the total for the whole of 2022 when 37 cases were reported.

These cases were largely related to political events which hit a peak in the first quarter of 2023. The gubernatorial and state legislative elections, which were held in March, accounted for 44 per cent, while the February presidential and National Assembly elections accounted for 31 per cent, resulting in an alarming sum of 71 per cent directly linked to elections. The remaining 29 per cent were not related to the elections.

Physical attacks were the most common, accounting for 47 per cent of the incidents, followed by denial of access (13 per cent) and equipment damage/seizure (7 per cent)

Geographically, the South-west had the most attacks with 17 or 37.8 per cent. The North-central and South-south had the same number of attacks - 11 each - separately accounting for 24.4 per cent.

The North-east had three or 6.7 per cent of the cases, followed by the North-west, which recorded two attacks, accounting for 4.4 per cent. The South-east geopolitical had the lowest statistic with only one case, accounting for 2.2 per cent of the infringements tracked and verified.

Political thugs and security personnel formed the biggest part of the perpetrators at 31% each. Individuals not identified with a political party were responsible for 18% of the attacks, while regulatory bodies and state actors were responsible for 7% and 11% respectively. One attack was perpetrated by an unknown individual or group.

These numbers paint a concerning picture of the state of press freedom in Nigeria. It is essential for the government and security agencies to take action to protect journalists and ensure press freedom is upheld as an essential pillar of a functioning liberal democracy of the sort Nigeria aspires to. Recall that in 2019, the last time general elections were held in Nigeria before 2023, 72 cases of press attacks were reported, and 45 cases were already reported in Q1 2023.

Nigeria must check what is appearing to be a dangerous trend of rising danger for journalists in the election years. Journalism is not crime; it is a constitutionally-backed enterprise to uphold the accountability and responsibility of the powerholders to the people.