Nigeria must protect journalists, end insecurity — SERAP, editors say

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have urged Nigerian authorities to guarantee press freedom and tackle worsening insecurity, warning that attacks on journalists and widespread human rights abuses are undermining democracy.

In a joint statement issued ahead of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, the groups called on President Bola Tinubu, state governors and the Federal Capital Territory minister to take urgent steps to protect media workers and address violence across parts of northern Nigeria.

They cited persistent killings, abductions, sexual violence and forced displacement in states including Benue, Plateau, Borno, Sokoto and Kwara, describing the situation as a “deepening governance and accountability crisis”.

“Protecting journalists and safeguarding information integrity are central drivers of peace, security, and democratic stability,” the organisations said, warning that repression of the media fuels corruption, weakens accountability and allows misinformation to thrive.

The groups said the erosion of independent journalism contributes directly to insecurity, arguing that “information violence often precedes physical violence” in conflict-affected areas.

They called for strengthened protection of journalists, improved access to reliable information and reforms to ensure accountability for abuses, including thorough investigations and prosecution of perpetrators.

SERAP and the editors’ guild said Nigerian authorities have binding obligations under the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and international treaties such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to protect freedom of expression and ensure justice for victims.

They also urged the government to adopt preventive and intelligence-led security measures, improve transparency in security operations and provide compensation and support for victims of violence.

The groups further called on the National Assembly to hold a public hearing on insecurity and attacks on media freedom, and urged the international community to increase pressure on Nigerian authorities to end impunity and uphold human rights.