In 2024 alone, CJID's Press Attack Tracker has tracked, verified and documented 23 cases of press freedom violations against journalists in Nigeria.
On 18 December 2023, President Bola Tinubu had a meeting with members of the Newspaper Proprietors' Association of Nigeria (NPAN) at State House, Abuja.
During the meeting, he reiterated his administration's commitment to upholding press freedom and promised to look into extant policies affecting the newspaper industry, according to a press statement from the president's office.
"You have held our feet to the fire, and we will continue to respect your opinions, whether we agree or not. One thing I must say is that I read every paper, various opinions and columnists," the president said.
Despite this promise, media practitioners in Nigeria have, since Mr Tinubu assumed office last May, faced attacks capable of discouraging free press.
According to the Press Attack Tracker (PAT), there have been 37 incidents of press freedom violations between 29 May 2023 and 29 May 2024.
The Press Attack Tracker is a civic technology tool of the Centre for Journalism and Innovation Development. It tracks, verifies and documents incidents of press freedom violations in Nigeria.
The cases of harassment, threats and even illegal detention of journalists in the course of their work show that much has not changed since the emergence of the current administration. Our findings also show that most of the attacks were mostly perpetrated by state agents, especially officers of the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police Force and the State Security Service, also known as the Department of State Service (DSS).
While security personnel carried out 26 attacks on the press, other state actors like political office holders and political appointees came next with seven verified incidents.
In 2024 alone, CJID's Press Attack Tracker has tracked, verified and documented 23 cases of press freedom violations against journalists in Nigeria, a development that shows that the country still has a long way to go in tolerating dissent views.
In 2023, a total of 108 cases of press attacks were documented by the press attack tracker; 23 of the cases were documented between 29 May and December 2023.
Also, unlawful arrests mainly perpetrated by security agents were the most common attacks recorded between 29 May 2023 and 29 May 2024.
Authorities Weaponise Cybercrime Act
Despite the amendment of the infamous Cybercrime Act 2015, the law is still being used to hound journalists. In fact, nine incidents have been documented between January and May 2024.
On 7 February, the Kwara State Police Command charged four journalists - Salihu Ayatullahi, Azeez Jaji, Abdurahman Damilola and Salihu Taofeek to court for allegedly violating Section 27(1)b and Section 24 of Nigeria's Cybercrime Act.
The journalists, who work for Informant247, were arrested over a controversial report about the alleged financial recklessness of the Kwara Polytechnic leadership.
A month later, incidents of press freedom violations took a new dimension after the National Cybercrime Centre (NCC) of the Nigerian Police Force invited Foundation for Investigative Journalism Board Chair, Olubukola Shonibare, to answer questions relating to cybercrime and operations of the online newspaper.
Upon honouring the invitation, she was asked to produce FIJ founder Fisayo Soyombo, who at the time was yet to receive any official invitation from the police.
Earlier this month, Daniel Ojukwu, a reporter with the same newspaper, who was arrested in Lagos was flown to the National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigerian Police in Abuja over allegations of cybercrime following a report, alleging misappropriation of public funds in the office of the former Special Adviser to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), of Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.
Mr Ojukwu was detained for 10 days before he was eventually released on bail after a protest by Civil Society Organisations and journalists in Abuja.
On 15 May, an ICIR reporter, Nurudeen Akewushola, got a letter from the National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigerian Police, inviting him for an "interview" in an investigation being carried out over a petition received by the NCC. Similarly, another letter was received by the ICIR inviting its "managing directors" for an interview for the same reason.
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The letters which came several days after they were expected to show up at the police NCC, however, did not mention the name of the petitioner. However, ICIR editor, Victoria Bamas, told CJID that the organisation believes that the invitation is linked to a report by Mr Akewushola, indicting two former Inspectors General of Police of corruption.
Since its inception, the CJID has tracked and documented 1,136 incidents of press freedom violations in Nigeria between 1986 and 2024.
We, however, urge the federal government, particularly President Bola Tinubu, who professes the values of democracy and has been a victim of harassment under the military government, to call the police and public officials to order.
The CJID condemns the continuing arrests of journalists based on the cybercrime law and encourages the government to comply with a Federal High Court order of 16 February, directing the Federal Government of Nigeria to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of all attacks against journalists and other media practitioners.
