Attack on press freedom: How not to be progressives, pro-democrats

Harassment, intimidation, and sundry onslaughts targeted at journalists have intensified under the President Bola Tinubu-led administration. Apart from these heinous acts being suggestive of an unwritten state policy to stifle, and scuttle press freedom, they also point to efforts aimed at dissuading the demand for accountability. NGOZI EGENUKA reports that if this avalanche persists, it will bequeath to the Tinubu-led government, the worst record of government clampdown on press freedom. 

For some time now, journalists have been bearing the brunt of the seeming attempt to silence free speech, especially investigators. Every other week, there is either an invitation letter extended to journalists, or they are subjected to Gestapo-style arrest; clamped into detention, or exposed to physical or verbal assault.

On August 5 this year, investigative journalist, whistleblower, and anti-corruption advocate, Isaac Bristol, identified by the police as the person behind the PIDOM Nigeria account on X, was reportedly abducted by security forces and kept in detention for extended periods, before being granted bail by an Abuja High Court, where he was dragged to face a nine-count charge bordering on leaking classified documents, sedition, fraud, tax evasion, funding terrorism, and illegally mobilising support from Nigerian citizens to participate in the recent nationwide hunger protests among others.

His appearance in court was after citizens put a lot of pressure on the authorities to charge him to court or release him.

Police Force spokesperson, MuyiwaAdejobi, confirmed that efforts were ongoing to trace David Hundeyin and Michael Alade, two other journalists named as accomplices to Bristol.

Last August, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested an investigative journalist – the Regional Editor of The Conversation Africa, Adejuwon Soyinka, on his way to Nigeria from Britain.

The Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) recently published a report on the intent of the DSS to arrest its Founder/Editor-in-Chief, Fisayo Soyombo. The information said the arrest would be made “anytime from now,” as soon as his whereabouts could be traced.

Several other journalists have had tales of torture, unlawful arrests, detention, and other inhumane treatments at the hands of agents of the government.

Nigeria ranked highest in the list of African countries where press freedom has been violated in August 2024 alone. In the report prepared by the International Press Institute (IPI), out of 64 incidents of press freedom violations identified in 16 African countries, Nigeria recorded 30, followed distantly by Somalia with a record of seven.

Of the 30 incidents, 21 involved male journalists, while nine involved female journalists, with state actors involved in most of the violations at 82.8 per cent. Unknown and non-state actors were at 15.6 and 1.5 per cent respectively.
These violations ranged from physical, verbal, or online abuse, which recorded the highest numbers followed by arrests, detention, and charges.

For the first half of 2024, a coalition of 85 media professionals and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) said they tracked, verified, and documented 37 incidents of press freedom violations across Nigeria between January 1 and June 30, 2024. IPI also recorded 81 such verified attacks on the press in 2023.

With about 110 press violations recorded in this administration within just a year in office, Tinubu is on track to beat the record of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, whose administration arrested 189 journalists over its eight-year tenure, according to a Global Rights report.
Already, attacks on journalists by state security agents over the first year of this administration equal the yearly average of the last 38 years, some of which were under military rule.

In the just concluded #EndBadGovernance demonstrations about two months ago, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that at least 56 journalists were assaulted or harassed by security forces or unidentified persons while covering the protest.

In contrast to these reports, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, himself a publisher, had an event commemorating the 2024 World Press Freedom Day, claimed that no journalist in the country has been detained since Tinubu became president on May 29, 2023. Idris further claimed that the current administration has provided the most enabling environment for journalists to practice.

However, there is no evidence to prove those claims, as public concerns are growing that the government has failed to use the same energy that it uses to clamp down on journalists to fight terrorism and insecurity that is ravaging the entire country.

Constitutional lawyer, Evans Ufeli, believes that the clampdown on journalists is not targeted at curbing any excesses as the media has been focused on reporting the truth.
He noted that various arrests were because the Tinubu-led administration does not want such information circulated in its bid to further its impunity.

Ufeli frowned at the government’s seeming undemocratic disposition towards the media, adding that Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution empowers the media to hold the government accountable to the people.

“From what I have observed so far, I have not seen any case of someone reporting falsehood, but for this government, it doesn’t matter what you report, as long as they don’t like it, they will come after you. They don’t even go after the institution that the person works for, but they go after the individual. That is undemocratic because Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution empowers the media to hold the government accountable to the people. So, the role of a journalist is constitutional; it’s not a voluntary assignment,” he declared.

According to Ufeli, there is no way the press would close its eyes to abnormalities in governance, adding that the government is not tackling unprofessionalism in the industry, or going after fake news, which is prevalent on blogs, but after traditional media and clamping down on dissenting voices.

The Executive Director, of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Edetaen Ojo, on his part argued that data collected by the International Press Institute (IPI) between January 2024 and the end of August show clearly that Nigeria is by far the worst country in the African continent in terms of the sheer incidents of attacks on journalists, and the number of individual journalists that have also been attacked during the same period.

These journalists, he said, have suffered various forms of attacks in the course of performing their professional and constitutional duties, or as a result of reports that they have put out as part of such duties.

According to him, in less than 18 months since President Tinubu assumed office, it has by far become the worst administration since the restoration of democratic rule in Nigeria in 1999.

He maintained that such would be a shameful and embarrassing performance for any government in a democracy.

Ojo, who expressed disappointment, said that Tinubu throughout his political career has presented himself as a democrat, who should understand that free and independent media are an essential attribute of democratic governance.

“He should, therefore, know that the brutal assault on journalists and media freedom during his administration will remain a permanent stain on his legacy,” he said.

Ojo described the president’s actions as shocking given that for decades, he has been a media proprietor “who owns media firms across radio, television, and print,” he alleged.

“He ought to know the importance of the media in freely carrying out its social responsibilities and functions specifically imposed on it by the 1999 Constitution and, which form part of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy contained in Chapter 2 of the Constitution,” he said.

He emphasised that the administration’s failure to allow members of the media to carry out their constitutional duties is a gross violation of Section 13 of the Constitution, which provides that: “It shall be the duty and responsibility of all organs of government and all authorities and persons, exercising legislative, executive or judicial powers, to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of this Chapter of this Constitution.

“It is also a breach of his oath of office as President wherein he swore to preserve the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy contained in the Constitution, as well as, to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution,” he said.

For a public affairs analyst and a conflict manager, Aladetan Abiodun, the persistent clampdown on journalists casts a troubling shadow over the sanctity of press freedom in Nigeria.

He added that the spike in violations signals a dangerous trajectory toward the suppression of free expression and democratic oversight.

Abiodun stressed that press freedom is an indispensable pillar of any democracy, serving as a watchdog to power and a conduit for public enlightenment, adding that silencing the press is an attempt to establish fear.

“The escalating assault on journalists could foster a culture of fear and self-censorship, effectively silencing critical voices essential for accountability,” he stressed.

Abiodun, however, noted that not all these transgressions may emanate directly from the highest echelons of power as oftentimes, overzealous subordinates eager to curry favour or demonstrate loyalty, engage in these oppressive measures to ingratiate themselves with their principals.

“This often misguided fervor can tarnish the image of the administration, inadvertently leading to a false narrative that journalists are agents of the opposition, seeking to undermine the government.

This distortion of reality by subordinates, acting out of personal ambition, can mislead the president into believing that these journalists are adversaries working at the behest of political opponents. Such misperceptions, fueled by sycophants, not only tarnish the government’s reputation but also risk plunging the country into an era of heightened antagonism towards the media.

“In a nation as dynamic and diverse as Nigeria, the free flow of information and the independence of the press are crucial. Any attempt to stifle this under the guise of loyalty to leadership ultimately harms the very fabric of democracy that the president swore to uphold,” he said.

He, therefore, called on President Tinubu to be vigilant against these covert acts of overreach by over-enthusiastic officials, which could inadvertently alienate the media and the public alike, eroding the democratic values that Nigeria so dearly upholds.

He added that the administration should strive to correct these excesses to restore confidence in its commitment to constitutional freedom.

However, the Director of Public Affairs, Office of SDGs, Lagos State, Sanusi Olajide, argued that Nigeria is regarded as having the fairest media in Africa, noting that the country needs to improve.

He advised that since individuals charge journalists to court for defamation, the government is also at liberty to do the same, instead of clamping down on journalists for discharging their duties.

He, however, stated that though there is room for decency in the media, public officials should not belittle and oppress a system because they are exposing government deficiencies.

“It would be inappropriate for me not to acknowledge the fact that some journalists are reckless in their duties.  Notwithstanding, we don’t curb such unethical acts by persecuting media organisations that are considered adversaries. As long as the government itself is not tidy in its affairs, some journalists will continue to be seen as being excessive,” he said.