The Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development (CJID) has condemned the escalating violence against journalists covering the #EndBadGovernance protests across Nigeria.
The protest, scheduled for ten days, started across major cities in the country on Thursday.
Numerous reports of assaults, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests of media personnel by security forces, particularly the police, have surfaced.
In a statement signed by Busola Ajibola, the deputy director, Journalism Program, on Friday the CJID condemned the attacks on the press, stating that it doesn’t only violate the rule of law but also affront the principles of democracy and abuse the fundamental rights of journalists.
Video evidence documenting these attacks has been gathered by press attack tracker, according to CJID. Incidents include physical assaults, equipment damage, and arbitrary detentions.
The statement highlighted that journalists from various media outlets, including News Central Television, Premium Times, Daily Independent, Punch Newspaper, Cross River Watch, Radio Ndarason International, Guardian Newspaper, and Channels TV, have been targeted.
It also noted that journalists were assaulted by pro-government protesters while carrying out their duties. The failure of security agencies to protect media personnel has exacerbated the situation, allowing for further attacks by hoodlums.
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CJID called for a thorough investigation into these incidents and demanded accountability from the Nigerian Police Force.
It stated that journalists must be allowed to operate freely and without fear of reprisal while carrying out their essential role of informing the public.
Read full statement below:
“The Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development (CJID) strongly condemns the numerous incidents of attacks on journalists by security officials, particularly members of the Nigerian police force, during the #EndBadGovernance protests across the country.
“These attacks have been substantiated by multiple video and pictorial evidence that our press attack tracker has now documented.
“In video clips received by CJID, police officers were seen physically assaulting, intimidating, and violating the rights of journalists in different parts of Nigeria.
“On Wednesday, July 31, 2024, News Central Television reporter Bernard Akede was interrupted and harassed by police officers while reporting live at the Lekki Toll Gate area of Lagos State, disrupting the television station’s live broadcast.
“In Abuja, Premium Times reporter Yakubu Muhammed was assaulted by police officers despite wearing a press jacket and identifying himself as a journalist. Yakubu was struck with the butt of a gun, resulting in a head injury, and his camera was damaged.
“A journalist with Daily Independent Newspaper, Jide Oyekunle, who is also the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists ( NUJ, FCT Chapter), was rough-handled by a policeman in Abuja. According to him, the Commissioner of Police ordered that his phone be confiscated for covering the protest.
“Also in Abuja, Kayode Jaiyeola, a photojournalist with Punch Newspaper, was arrested by a police officer attached to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. Jaiyeola was handed over to members of the FCT Police Command, who detained him.
“News Central Television journalist Mary Adeboye was tear-gassed by police officers while covering the protest in Abuja.
“Jonathan Ugbal, the Managing Editor of Cross River Watch Newspaper, was assaulted and arrested at the Mary Slessor roundabout area of Calabar, the Cross River state capital. He was taken to an undisclosed location, where he was detained for several hours.
“In Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, nine staff members of Radio Ndarason International (RNA), including the editor-in-chief, Head of Programmes, and Nigeria Office Director, were also arrested. Their arrest and detainment are believed to be connected to an earlier visit by the state Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, who was at the radio station earlier this morning. The journalists are now being detained at the police headquarters in Maiduguri.
“The failure of the police to provide adequate security was also evident in attacks on journalists by hoodlums who exploited the poor security situation to unleash mayhem on journalists covering the protest.
“In Delta State, journalists were attacked by pro-government protesters who assaulted protesters intending to disrupt their demonstration. Some of the journalists who fell victim to this attack are Guardian Newspaper reporter Monday Osayande and Punch Newspaper reporter Matthew Ochei. They were both attacked while interviewing protesters.
“A TVC correspondent was attacked by weapon-bearing hoodlums while covering the protest in Kano State, resulting in an injured hand.
“About eleven journalists were also attacked in a Channels TV vehicle conveying, and in the process, TVC correspondent Ibrahim Isah was injured while trying to escape the scene.
“It is deeply troubling that, instead of providing security for citizens exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest, members of the Nigerian police chose to harass journalists, fulfilling their duty to keep the public informed.
“The attacks on journalists by the Nigerian Police Force not only violate the rule of law but also affront the principles of democracy and abuse the fundamental rights of journalists.
“We call on the Inspector General of Police to thoroughly investigate these reports and ensure that all involved police officers are held accountable.
“Journalists are crucial in sustaining a functional democracy and must be protected by the state and all stakeholders.”
