In commemoration of this year’s International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI), United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has called for collective efforts to defend freedom of the press globally.

In his message, Guterres observed that media professionals around the globe face mounting perils in their pursuit of truth – including verbal abuse, legal threats, physical attacks, imprisonment and torture.

Saying some journalists even get killed, he added, “on this International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, we demand justice. Worldwide, nearly nine out of 10 journalist killings remain unresolved.”

Describing Gaza as deadliest place for journalists in any conflict, he called for independent and impartial investigations.

Saying impunity anywhere is not only an injustice to the victims and their families, he added it is an assault on press freedom, an invitation to further violence, and a threat to democracy itself.

Speaking further, Guterres urged all governments to investigate every case, prosecute every perpetrator and ensure that journalists can do their jobs freely everywhere.

In addition, he added, “we must also confront the alarming rise in online abuse targeting women journalists, which goes largely unpunished and leads frequently to real-world harm. Digital spaces must be made safe for those who gather and report the news.

“When journalists are silenced, we all lose our voice. Let us stand together to defend press freedom, demand accountability, and ensure those who speak truth to power can do so without fear.”

Meanwhile, Media Rights Agenda (MRA), yesterday, released a report titled, “when protectors become predators: The state against freedom of expression in Nigeria,” documenting disturbing pattern of attacks, intimidation, and harassment targeted at journalists and other media workers by security, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies, which are the very institutions that are supposed to protect them.

The 129-page report, issued in commemoration of this year’s IDEI, highlights how those entrusted with maintaining law and order as well as protecting citizens, including journalists, have instead become instruments of repression, targeting journalists and other media workers for doing their legitimate work of informing the public and holding power to account.

It revealed that government officials were responsible for nearly 74 per cent of all attacks on journalists and freedom of expression recorded by MRA in Nigeria between January 1 and October 31, 2025, with the Nigeria Police Force emerging as the worst offender, accounting for 45 per cent of all incidents of violation of media rights.

Other perpetrators of attacks on journalists include operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), various branches of the military and paramilitary agencies, as well as elected and appointed political office holders at federal and state levels, among others.

According to MRA, at least 69 incidents were documented during the period under review, including arbitrary arrests and detention, physical attacks, threats to life, invasions of media offices, abductions, and other forms of harassment or intimidation of journalists performing their legitimate professional duties.

MRA’s Deputy Executive Director, Ayode Longe, said, “the report shows that journalists in Nigeria are increasingly under siege, not just from criminals and insurgents, but principally from the very state institutions charged with protecting them,” adding that “This trend is a direct contradiction of the Government’s constitutional and international legal duty to guarantee the safety of media practitioners and uphold the public’s right to be informed. It represents a fundamental breakdown of law enforcement accountability and a direct assault on democracy and the rule of law.”

The report noted that the climate of pervasive impunity for attacks against journalists has not only eroded public trust in government institutions but has also continued to fuel further violations as perpetrators are rarely identified, investigated or prosecuted, creating an environment of fear and self-censorship that is weakening democratic governance.

MRA insisted that ensuring the safety of journalists is a legal and moral obligation of the Government, enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as other regional and international human rights instruments.

It, therefore, called on the Federal Government to establish and enforce accountability mechanisms for government officials involved in attacks on journalists; as well as reform and re-train security, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies to enable them to respect and uphold human rights and media freedom.

International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is a UN-recognised international day observed yearly on November 2.