The kidnapping of yet one more Nigerian journalist, who was detained for 10 days, is indicative of a worrying sample that implies that the federal authorities tolerates and encourages a local weather of repression in opposition to press freedom, Wale Igbintade experiences
About six weeks after gunmen later recognized to be operatives of the Defence Intelligence Company (DIA) kidnapped the then editor of FirstNews newspaper, Segun Olatunji, from his dwelling in Lagos State, one other journalist, Daniel Ojukwu, was on Might 1 kidnapped by the Intelligence Response Staff of the Inspector Basic of Police.
Ojukwu, a journalist with the Basis for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), was stated to have gone lacking on Wednesday, Might 1 along with his cellphone numbers switched off and his whereabouts unknown to colleagues, household and buddies.
Penultimate Thursday, FIJ made a missing-person-report at police stations within the space the place he was headed.
Nevertheless, by Friday, a non-public detective employed by FIJ tracked the final energetic location of his telephones to an handle in Isheri Olofin, a location FIJ now believes was the place the police initially picked him up. It was later found he was being held on the State Prison Investigation Division (SCID), Panti space of Lagos.
Investigation revealed that the journalist is being held for an alleged violation of the 2015 Cybercrime Act primarily based on a narrative he wrote. The Cybercrime Act is a regulation utilized by the federal authorities to prosecute journalists and media homes.
In March, the Nigeria Police Drive Nationwide Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) invited and grilled the Chairperson of FIJ’s Board of Trustees, Bukky Shonibare, in Abuja throughout which they talked about a narrative authored by Ojukwu. The story alleged that the Senior Particular Assistant to former President Muhammad Buhari on Sustainable Improvement Targets (SSAP-SDGs), Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, paid N147 million to a restaurant for the development of school rooms in Lagos
Aside from Shonibare, the police by no means invited Ojukwu or another FIJ employees member. Shonibare honoured the police invitation and was by no means detained. However the story modified when the police determined to abduct Ojukwu as an alternative of formally inviting him.
Final Sunday, the police confirmed shifting Ojukwu to the Nigerian Police Drive Nationwide Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) in Abuja. It was not until Friday, after 10 days in custody, that he was launched.
Beneath the 1999 Nigerian Structure and different worldwide devices to which Nigeria is a signatory, it’s forbidden for any citizen or resident to be detained past 48 hours, besides with a sound court docket order.
Many Nigerians now worry {that a} sample has emerged, suggesting that the administration of President Bola Tinubu doesn’t solely condone repression of freedom of the press but additionally encourages it, in contradiction to the guarantees made through the president’s inaugural speech that his administration would uphold elementary human rights.
The kidnapping and detention of Ojukwu precisely when the world was celebrating the liberty of the press, raised questions on the federal authorities’s dedication to the liberty of the press.
The offence for which he’s alleged is bailable however he was not provided bail or arraigned in court docket as enshrined within the legal guidelines.
Since journalism performs a vital position in democracy, serving as a catalyst for change and as a watchdog for accountability, the police and different regulation enforcement businesses should keep away from utilizing the Cybercrimes Act to suppress investigative journalism aimed toward entrenching a clear and accountable system.
Whereas the media just isn’t above the regulation, in a democracy, the one technique to decide unsuitable or proper is thru the authorized course of.
Nigeria stays one in all West Africa’s most harmful and troublesome international locations for journalists, based on the Reporters With out Borders (RSF) who ranked Nigeria 123 of 180 international locations in its World Press Freedom Report for 2023.
The report famous that Nigerian journalists are repeatedly monitored, attacked and arbitrarily arrested, including that the “crimes dedicated in opposition to journalists proceed to go unpunished, even when the perpetrators are recognized or apprehended.”
Aside from Ojukwu and Olatunji’s travails, a journalist with The Whistler Newspaper, Kasarahchi Aniagolu; a reporter with Dawn Newspaper, Achadu Gabriel; a journalist with the Solar Newspaper, Godwin Tsa; a web-based writer and journalist, Valuable Eze; the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor of Informant247, Salihu Ayatullahi and Adisa-Jaji Azeez, respectively; Writer of Simply Occasions On-line, Abdulrazaq Babatunde, and Writer of Satcom Media, Lukman Bolakale, amongst others have been kidnapped or detained since President Tinubu got here to energy.
Penultimate Tuesday, WikkiTimes printed an investigation accusing the lawmaker representing Jama’are Itas Federal Constituency within the Home of Representatives, Rabilu Kashuri, of distributing help from the North East Improvement Fee (NEDC) to his political occasion loyalists.
For that reason, a journalist with WikkiTimes, Yawale Adamu, was threatened by a political aide to the lawmaker, who accused the reporter of being utilized by political rivals to undermine his principal and tarnish his fame.
He threatened the reporter, in a phone dialog, that the Division of State Companies (DSS) had been contacted as he vowed to take ‘motion’ in opposition to the reporter.
“I’ve offered the SSS with the contact particulars of the person who assisted your reporting within the constituency; they intend to trace him down. The one that guided you and facilitated interviews all through the constituency, I guarantee you, will face penalties; nobody will protect him. We can’t stand by whereas our fame is broken; I swear by Allah, you’ll face repercussions in your actions,” WikkiTimes quoted the political aide as saying in one of many cellphone conversations.
Many Nigerians are shocked that the DSS and police are being concerned in issues referring to mere defamation.
Whereas Ojukwu is languishing in detention, the Nigerian Nationwide Committee of the Worldwide Press Institute (IPI Nigeria) had threatened to incorporate the Inspector Basic of Police (IG), Kayode Egbetokun, in IPI Nigeria’s ebook of infamy and branded an enemy of the media and journalists over the kidnapping and detention of Ojukwu.
In an announcement issued by its President, Musikilu Mojeed, and Authorized Adviser/Chairman of the Advocacy Committee, Tobi Soniyi, IPI Nigeria strongly condemned the kidnapping and referred to as on the IG to order Ojukwu’s launch.
The IPI Nigeria requested the IG to order the quick launch of the detained journalist.
“Human rights violations have continued unabated as a result of perpetrators are hardly held to account. It’s time to start holding these suppressing freedom of expression to account,” the assertion stated.
Amidst these unlucky incidents, Nigeria paradoxically joined the world in commemorating World Press Freedom Day the place the Socio-Financial Rights and Accountability Venture (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) requested the federal authorities to cease utilizing “repressive and anti-media regulation such because the Cybercrime Act and a few code of the Nationwide Broadcasting Fee (NBC)” to focus on, intimidate and harass journalists and media homes.
Surprisingly, regardless of the abductions and arbitrary detentions of journalists, the Minister of Data and Nationwide Orientation, Mohammed Idris, had insisted that no journalist within the nation was being detained by the administration of President Tinubu.
