…Demands justice for Ojukwu, Bristol, Soyombo, Hammad, Soyinka, others
An organization that promotes human rights, Network Against Corruption and Trafficking, NACAT, has condemned what it described as escalating repression on investigative journalists in Nigeria.
In a statement on Wednesday, the organization accused President Bola Tinubu-led administration of demonstrating a blatant disregard for various international treaties and conventions that recognize rights of the press as fundamental to the existence of democracy.
According to the statement, signed by the organisation’s Operations Manager, Stanley Ugagbe, egregious assault on press freedom not only undermines the core principles of democracy but also violates the fundamental rights enshrined in both the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights instruments.
The organization, therefore, expressed concern over the clamping down on the rights of journalists, deploying government arsenal to suppress their voices and subjecting them to unhuman treatments.
“Disturbing records in the public domain have it that: Daniel Ojukwu, a reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), went missing on May 1 and was later found to be detained on allegations of violating the Cybercrimes Act. His “crime” was uncovering the truth about a fraudulent government transaction,” the statement read.
“Isaac Bristol (PIDOM), a microblogger known for his investigative work, was abducted from his hotel room in Port Harcourt by 15 plainclothes policemen on August 5 and subjected to inhuman treatment.
“Isaac told representatives of this team that the police abducted and kept him in solitary confinement for at least six days in an anti-kidnapping unit before transferring him to a different facility. He later ended up in the FCID’s custody.
“Presently, the police are demanding two Level 16 civil servants who own landed property worth at least N500 million in Abuja as sureties for Bristol’s bail.
“Asking for a civil servant to he worth N500 million is an invitation to corruption by the Nigerian Police as it will take over 100 years for a civil servant to make such money and will only have to be corrupt to make such amount of money. Is the police asking civil servants to start stealing public funds before they can stand as sureties?
“Fisayo Soyombo, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of FIJ, was detained for eight hours by the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre in Abuja on August 14. He has since been required to report bi-weekly, a clear attempt to intimidate him and curtail his journalistic activities.
“Abdulrasheed Hammad, a freelance journalist, was threatened by the Department of State Services (DSS) after publishing an investigative story on contaminated water in Sokoto State.
“Adejuwon Soyinka, West Africa editor for The Conversation Africa, was detained by the DSS for six hours on August 27, following his return from the UK. His detention was based on the spurious claim of irregularities with his passport, a clear tactic to intimidate him for his investigative work.”
According to the organization, these actions are a direct attack on the freedom of the press and a dangerous step toward authoritarianism.
The NACAT, therefore, demanded immediate justice and accountability for these journalists especially for Isaac who is still being held in detention.
“The Nigerian government must put an end to these egregious attacks on press freedom and ensure that those responsible for these violations are held accountable.
“We are troubled that if these actions continue, Nigeria risks degenerating into a lawless society where journalists are silenced or simply disappear for doing their job. This is not the Nigeria we want or deserve.
“We are startled that President Bola Tinubu who has had a taste of a repressive government and was forced into exile by the late General Sani Abacha’s military junta, has now turned around to become an oppressor of the Nigerian people.
“We urged the President to rescind on this trajectory and keep to his words to promote the rule of law, adhere to the principles of separation of powers, and tolerate dissenting views within the ambit of the laws of Nigeria.
“We call on all Nigerians and the international community to stand with us in defending press freedom. We seek an open society where citizens can express themselves freely, have access to unclassified information, and where the government is fully accountable to the people.
“These are the minimum requirements of the new society we seek, and we will not rest until they are achieved,” the statement concluded.
