May 6, (THEWILL)- The fear of creeping authoritarianism in government and the importance of media vigilance dominated discussions at an interactive session on the state of press freedom in Nigeria in Lagos at the weekend. The session was jointly organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors and the Socio-economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP to mark World Press Freedom Day.
Using the recent abduction and detention of the Editor of FirstNews newspaper, Segun Olatunji, by the Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA, as a point of departure, the participants agreed that institutional attack on Press freedom is a threat to democracy because of the media’s crucial role in upholding transparency, accountability and the fundamental rights of the citizenry. Olatunji was abducted by the security agency for allegedly publishing a false story against the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gabjabiamila.
“The gestapo manner of Olatunji’s abduction shows that there is creeping authoritarianism in Nigeria. Throughout the years of Gen San Abacha’s murderous regime, not once was a journalist abducted in the presence of his wife, blindfolded and taken away,” keynote speaker and Provost of the Nigeria Institute of Journalism, Mr Gbenga Adefaye, said during his address. “So, we have to wake up to our responsibility as journalists or this thing might get worse.”
He recalled that the DIA people were still unrelenting in their position by releasing their own version of the story to an obscure online blogger, refusing to submit themselves to the Media Ombudsman for resolution of the matter and urged journalists to sustain the fight through joint advocacy with organisations like SERAP for relevant legislation against dangerous anti-media laws like some of the provisions in the Cybercrimes Act and the National Broadcasting Codes. He lamented the harsh environment of media practice and suggested some remedial actions.
These include supporting innovative business models because the media space has become democratised; investing on fact checking and medial literacy to make reporting credible; promoting social media engagement; strengthening relationship between government and civil society and prioritising safety of journalists.
President of the NGE, Eze Anaba and General Secretary, Dr Iyobosa Uwugiaren corroborated Adefaye’s views by relating the nightmarish ordeal that the NGE, the Nigeria Union of Journalists and International Press Institute went through government officials trying to locate Mr Olatunji before they were able to identify which government agency abducted him. Just when the media organisations are trying to bring closure to the Olatunji ordeal, another story broke about the abduction of a journalist with Foundation for Investigative Journalism, FIJ. He was abducted on May 1 with his whereabouts unknown until his organisation employed a private investigator who traced him to the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector General of Police, who are holding him at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Lagos, accusing him of violating the 2025 Cybercrime Act.
“Mr Olatunji was released to us by hooded men under a bridge in Asokoro where they made us sign a bond. They did not want us to come to their office,” lamented Uwugiaren.
To show the political contest of press freedom in the country, Uwugiaren said the Reporters Without Borders, which recently classified Nigeria as one of the most dangerous places to practice journalism in Africa, used parameters such as legal frameworks with anti-media laws; enabling economic environment for journalism practice and social culture context dealing with violence, freedom and healthy community.
A senior journalist and media author, Richard Akinnola said, “Things are getting worse. We are witnessing a more devious dictatorship in the country than there was during the military era in governance, which shows that we are not yet in a democracy but civil rule. Take for example the Cybercrimes Act which contains clauses that can be abused by state governments and the police without questioning.”
For Professor of Law at the University of Lagos, Abiodun Odusote, a political system without free and unfettered press, non-responsive justice system, lacking free and fair election, can best be described as a pseudo-democracy. “Press freedom promotes good governance, fosters dialogue in the public space, participation and strengthens public institutions, all of which nurture and sustain democratic governance” he submitted.
At the end of the day, SERAP and NGE issued a joint statement to say that, “the government of President Bola Tinubu, the country’s 36 governors and FCT minister must now genuinely uphold press freedom, ensure access to information to all Nigerians, obey court judgments, and respect the rule of law.”
They urged the Federal Government to review laws like the Official Secrets Act, Criminal Code Act and Cybercrime Act for potential restrictions on free speech and press; and amend them in line with international human rights standards and Agreements, including the Windhoek Declaration for the Development of a Free, Independent and Pluralistic Press.
Calling on the Federal Government to strengthen the independence of regulatory bodies like the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Nigerian Press Council (NPC) to ensure impartial regulation and promote self-regulation within the media, they appealed to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to push for the immediate amendment of the Cybercrimes Act and other repressive legislation and bring these laws in line with the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) and international human rights obligations to which Nigeria is a state party.
The Federal Government, however, did not fail to respond. At a conference last Friday, it assured journalists of their protection and support. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, at a conference on the press and environmental sustainability in Abuja said that press freedom is a fundamental human right.
He said that as guardians of truth and champions of accountability, journalists “illuminate environmental injustices, expose wrongdoing and amplify the voices of those most affected by environmental degradation.”
President Tinubu, he said, prioritises restoring trust, reorienting national values and creating an enabling environment for the media.
About the Author
Amos Esele is the Deputy Editor of THEWILL Newspaper. He has over two decades of experience on the job.
