Group Condemns Harassment Of Journalists In Nigeria

The Network Against Corruption And Trafficking (NACAT), has condemned the continued harassment and arrest of journalists in the process id doing their work, stating that such actions, will repress investigative journalism.

In a statement signed by NACAT’s operations manager, Stanley Ugagbe, the group said in the past one year, five high profile journalists have been arrested so far.

The group also condemned the difficult bail conditions always set for the release of journalists, wondering how the police are demanding two Level 16 civil servants who own landed property worth at least N500 million in Abuja as sureties for IsaayBristol’s bail.

Part of the statement reads, “For the records, section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria guarantees freedom of expression and the press. Additionally, Section 22 places a responsibility on the press to hold the government and the people accountable at all times. These constitutional safeguards are vital to the health of our democracy, and any attempt to stifle the press is an affront to the rule of law.
More so, Nigeria is a signatory to various international treaties and conventions that recognize the right of the press as fundamental to the existence of democracy.

“In a horrendous show of power-drunk, since May of this year, at least five high-profile investigative journalists have been unlawfully arrested, detained, and subjected to intimidation and threats by government agents.

“As an organization that promotes human rights, we are deeply concerned that a Nation like Nigeria that is practicing democracy, is 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.

“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 the 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.”