Nigerian journalist Agba Jalingo acquitted of all charges 30 months after arrest
New York, March 21, 2022 — In response to news reports that a federal court on Monday acquitted Nigerian journalist Agba Jalingo on all charges, including anti-state and defamation, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Today’s acquittal of journalist Agba Jalingo on trumped-up charges is welcome, but he should never have been…
Two Enugu state broadcaster journalists abducted, beaten while covering Nigerian elections
Abuja, March 16, 2022 — Nigerian authorities should investigate the recent attack and brief abduction of journalists Fredrick Nnaji and Chigozie Nwafor, hold those responsible to account, and ensure all journalists can cover the local elections safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On February 23, four unidentified men attacked and briefly abducted Nnaji,…
CPJ welcomes Nigerian journalist Luka Binniyat’s release on bail, calls for end to prosecution
Abuja, February 4, 2022 — In response to the release on bail Thursday of Luka Binniyat, a Nigerian freelance reporter for the U.S.-based news outlet The Epoch Times, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement calling for the charges against him to be dropped: “While Nigerian journalist Luka Binniyat’s release on bail is…
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…