A coalition of civil rights organisations, led by Citizens’ Gavel, has filed a lawsuit against the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, over what they describe as the growing trend of arbitrary arrests and harassment of journalists in Nigeria.
The lawsuit, jointly filed by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), the Human Rights Journalists Network (HRJN), and other stakeholders, seeks to challenge the alleged misuse of law enforcement agencies to intimidate journalists for publishing investigative reports and critical stories.
Senior Legal Analyst, Citizens’ Gavel, Sylvester Agih, in a statement, noted that the legal action became necessary following President Bola Tinubu’s failure to take concrete steps in addressing the arbitrary arrest of journalists.
The organizations said the failure of the government to act has left journalists vulnerable to continued harassment by powerful individuals and state actors.
The statement said: “In recent years, journalists across Nigeria have faced arbitrary arrests, unlawful detentions, and harassment simply for carrying out their constitutional duty to inform the public.
“These acts not only violate Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression and the press but also contravene international human rights obligations Nigeria has committed to under treaties such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“Through this lawsuit, we seek to end the misuse of police powers to unlawfully arrest and detain journalists under false pretenses and to secure a judicial pronouncement that upholds the rights of journalists to operate without fear of persecution.
“We call on the Nigerian government to respect the role of the media as the fourth estate of the realm and to ensure that journalists can operate freely, safely, and without undue interference. We also urge the judiciary to deliver justice in a manner that strengthens democratic values and protects human rights.
“The press must remain free if democracy is to thrive. We will not relent in our fight for justice and press freedom in Nigeria.”
