Journalists attacked in Nigeria since 1992
Why the UN’s push for a cybercrime treaty could imperil journalists simply for using the internet
Cybercrime is on the global agenda as a United Nations committee appointed to develop a treaty on the topic plans for its first meeting amid pandemic-related delays. The process is slated to take at least two years, but experts warn that such a treaty – initially proposed by Russia – could hand new tools to…
Nigerian intelligence agency demands sources from Peoples Gazette news site
Abuja, January 14, 2022 — Nigerian authorities should immediately halt attempts to obtain confidential sources from the privately owned Peoples Gazette news website and allow its journalists to work without intimidation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At around 1 p.m. on January 10, four officers of Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA) entered the…
Men raid office of Nigerian outlet Thunder Blowers, steal equipment and beat editor
Abuja, January 10, 2022 – Nigerian authorities should investigate the recent attack on the offices of the Thunder Blowers news website, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At around 8:15 p.m. on January 3, eight men entered the outlet’s office in Gusau, the capital of Nigeria’s northern Zamfara…
Nigerian journalist Luka Binniyat detained over complaint by Kaduna state official
Abuja, Nigeria, November 15, 2021 – Nigerian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Luka Binniyat and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On November 4, police officers in Barnawa, a town in the northern state of Kaduna, arrested Binniyat, a freelance journalist who contributes to the U.S.-based news…
A Nigerian journalist took photos at the scene of killings his government denies. Then the harassment started
The photos showed blood-soaked concrete, a gashed open thigh, and an injured protester grimacing in pain on the ground. Taken by photojournalist Eti-Inyene Godwin Akpan on October 20, 2020, the images tell the story of Nigerian forces’ mass shooting of anti-police brutality protesters at Lagos’ Lekki Toll Gate, an incident the government continues to deny….
Nigerian police assault, detain journalists covering memorials marking Lekki Toll Gate killings
Abuja, Nigeria, November 1, 2021 — Authorities in Nigeria must prioritize the safety of journalists covering protests and hold officers responsible for abuses accountable, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 20, in three separate incidents, police officers arrested, harassed, or beat up three journalists–Sikiru Obarayese, Abisola Alawode, and Adefemi Akinsanya—as they covered…
Two Nigerian journalists respond to the government’s ongoing Twitter ban
More than a month after Nigeria’s federal government suspended access to Twitter, CPJ’s review of local accounts found at least some run by media outlets have gone silent. Twitter was inaccessible when CPJ tried to visit it from Nigeria in mid-July. However, after the ban, Nigerian outlet The Guardian reported a huge spike in searches…
West Africa court orders Nigeria to refrain from sanctioning media for using Twitter
New York, June 23, 2021 — In response to yesterday’s ruling by the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) Court of Justice ordering Nigeria to refrain from sanctioning media outlets and Nigerian citizens for using Twitter, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “The ECOWAS court order for Nigeria to refrain from…
Nigerian broadcast regulator orders outlets to stop using Twitter amid nationwide block
Abuja, June 8, 2021 – Nigerian authorities should end their suspension of Twitter’s operations in Nigeria, not threaten to punish news outlets for using the platform, and allow the press to use social media networks freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, the National Broadcasting Commission, the country’s broadcast regulator, issued a press…
Nigerian BBC host Peter Nkanga receives death threats
Abuja, May 30, 2021 – Nigerian authorities should conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the death threats received by journalist Peter Nkanga and ensure his safety, the Committee to Protect Journalist said today. Since May 20, dozens of anonymous people have called and sent text messages to Nkanga, an Abuja-based reporter with the BBC,…