‘It is ironic that the institutions tasked with upholding the rule of law and ensuring the safety and security of citizens, including journalists, have instead become the instruments of oppression’.

Security agencies – including the police, military and intelligence services – are the worst enemies of the media in Nigeria and are responsible for the highest number of attacks against journalists this year.

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) said law enforcement and security agencies were responsible for 45 of 69 attacks against journalists it documented between January 1 and October 31, representing approximately 65%.

In its annual state of the media report for 2024 – titled Media Freedom Under Threat: The State of Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety in Nigeria 2024 – MRA said journalists and critical voices in Nigeria continued to face challenges carrying out their duties and expressing their opinions.

John Gbadamosi, MRA’s programme officer, said in a statement issued at the release of the 137-page report: “It is ironic that the institutions tasked with upholding the rule of law as well as ensuring the safety and security of citizens, including journalists, have instead become the instruments of oppression against the media.

“It is worse still that the pervasive culture of impunity which has ensured a lack of accountability for past attacks has now emboldened these perpetrators to the extent that we are now seeing them at their most horrendous.”

Freedom of expression is guaranteed and protected in Nigeria’s constitution – but that has not stopped serious infractions on press freedom, including attacks on journalists and threats against media practitioners.

MRA said that of a total of 64 attacks against journalists it recorded in 2022, law enforcement and security agencies were responsible for 29, representing approximately 45%; they were responsible for 34 of 77 attacks against journalists recorded and documented last year, representing approximately 44%.

This year the situation was “significantly worse”.

The report documented in detail 21 cases of assault and battery against journalists during the first 10 months of the year; 17 cases of arbitrary arrests and detention; three cases of raids on homes or offices of journalists; eight cases of threats to life; two cases of harassment, six cases of abductions or kidnapping; five instances when journalists were obstructed from performing their duties; one journalist killed; and six cases of other forms of attacks.

Besides law enforcement and security agencies, other perpetrators of attacks against journalists documented in the report included other government officials responsible for four of the attacks; the courts responsible for two violations of journalists’ rights; thugs and hoodlums responsible for seven of the attacks; four unknown gunmen and six attacks by unknown people.

In response to the report, media practitioners in Borno State in Nigeria’s northeast, have called on the government to safeguard journalists and the profession by recognising the freedom of the press as ratified in the 1999 constitution.

Babagana Bukar, a journalist in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, said the federal government should not be blind and should do everything possible to ensure the protection of journalists from attacks, killings, harassment, invasion of privacy, unlawful arrest and detention without trial.

“The Media Rights Agenda is not the only organisation that has published such reports. Disturbing infractions and violations of press freedom by security operatives across the country have made the headlines many times before.

“Journalists and other media practitioners have been arrested and jailed for no reason; many have died in the line of duty; some have gone missing and no one knows their whereabouts.

“Right now, more than 500 journalists and media organisations have written to Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the release of journalists and media practitioners who were unlawfully arrested and detained.

“The Nigerian government has been urged to reshape the laws to guarantee the protection of journalists and media practitioners throughout the country.

“Nigeria is the largest democratic country in Africa. Journalists and media practitioners should be free to work without any harassment, intimidation, attacks, killings, arrests and detentions.”

Abdullahi Mustapha, also a journalist based in Maiduguri, said media practitioners faced a range of challenges.

“Most of the frontline journalists in Borno State have experienced violations of their rights. The 15-year conflict in the region means that journalists have to work closely with the military and other security operatives to cover what is happening.

“Intimidation, insults and harassment are common.

“Despite safety protocols, such as wearing bulletproof vests and helmets in conflict zones, reporters face significant challenges in the field, including dangers to their personal security. Getting information is often extremely difficult and they are prevented at times from truthfully covering what is happening around them.

“Sometimes journalists face physical attacks. Their equipment is confiscated and they are arrested and held in detention. If they publish certain information, the military arrests them in the name of national interest.”

Mustapha said the government needed to recognise the importance of press freedom and punish the military and other security operatives who act unlawfully.

Abatcha Gana Gajiram, a lecturer in the department of mass communication at Borno State University (BOSU) in Maiduguri, told RNI that most journalists and media practitioners were frightened by the military and other security operatives they came across in the course of their duties.

“As counterinsurgency operations escalate, there needs to be a strong synergy between the media and the military. But this is lacking for the most part and instead there is mistrust, suspicion and wariness.

“The government does not recognise the freedom of the press and that is why the military and other security operatives infringe on the rights of journalists and media practitioners. Many journalists are afraid to exercise their duties and responsibilities of telling the facts that concern both public and national interests.

“As a result of the harassment, mistreatment, disrespect, physical attacks, unlawful arrest and detention by the military and other security operatives, the working relationship between the military and journalists is not cordial or friendly. This influences the way the fight against insurgency and other criminals is portrayed.

“It is imperative for the government to establish a law that protects media organisations and journalists. Anyone who mistreats, attacks or intimidates journalists should be punished according to the law.”

– The Media Rights Agenda was established in 1993 as an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation for the purpose of promoting and protecting the right to freedom of expression, media freedom, access to information, as well as digital rights and freedoms.

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO