Nigerian Journalists Brutalized While Covering Protests as Press Freedom Faces Violent Clampdown

August 06, 2024 – Nigeria – 

Nigerian security forces launched a violent crackdown on journalists covering nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests, with at least 56 media workers assaulted, detained, or harassed, according to reports by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

On August 3 alone, during demonstrations in Abuja and other major cities, 31 journalists were violently targeted. Among them was Yakubu Mohammed of Premium Times, who was beaten and struck with a rifle butt while reporting, despite clearly identifying himself as press. In another case, Daily Independent photojournalist Kayode Jaiyeola was arrested by operatives linked to the National Security Adviser’s office. His colleague, Jide Oyekunle, was also detained at Abuja’s Eagle Square.

In Kano, Ibrahim Isah of TVC was physically attacked, and in Delta State, reporters were beaten and their equipment vandalized. In Maiduguri, nine staff members of Radio Ndarason Internationale were arrested without charge while on assignment. Journalists were also targeted with rubber bullets, tear gas, and physical intimidation, and several news crews reported damage to vehicles and confiscation of cameras and phones.

The IFJ denounced the attacks as “orchestrated and deliberate,” aimed at silencing media coverage of civic unrest. CPJ’s Angela Quintal called for Nigerian authorities to investigate and punish those responsible, stressing that assaults on journalists are direct assaults on democracy.

Legal support centers like Nigeria’s International Press Centre (IPC) labeled the conduct of security forces “inhumane and unconstitutional,” and urged urgent reforms to guarantee the safety of journalists, especially during public demonstrations.

Despite extensive documentation and video evidence, no officials have been held accountable, heightening concerns about a worsening climate of impunity. Both IFJ and CPJ emphasized that these attacks violate international standards of press freedom and Nigeria’s constitutional protections for the media.

The scale and intensity of the repression point to a systemic effort to silence dissenting voices in Nigeria. Press freedom advocates are now calling for concrete policy changes, legal safeguards, and disciplinary action against law enforcement officers responsible for the violence. Without meaningful accountability, the safety of journalists in Nigeria remains dangerously compromised.

Reference – 

https://allafrica.com/stories/202408060483.html

Nigerian security forces attack, arrest journalists covering protests

Nigeria: Several journalists brutalised by security forces while covering protests – IFJ