The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has urged the Nigerian government to comply with a landmark judgment from February 16, 2024, issued by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which mandates measures to safeguard journalists.
The ruling by Justice Inyang Ekwo requires the government to prevent assaults on journalists, and to investigate, prosecute, and punish those responsible for attacks against media practitioners.
In Lagos, MRA’s Head of Legal Department, Ms Obioma Okonkwo, criticised the government’s continued defiance of the judgement as “an affront to justice and the rule of law.”
She explained that the court granted MRA’s eight requested declarations and issued three mandatory orders to secure media practitioners’ safety.
Ms Okonkwo recalled that the court’s judgement directed the Federal Government “to take measures to prevent attacks on journalists and to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of all attacks against journalists and other media practitioners.”
She expressed alarm at the government’s failure to act, saying, “The culture of impunity being nurtured by the Federal Government through its failure to comply with and enforce the court’s judgment is deeply concerning.”
She added, “Far too often, crimes committed against journalists remain unresolved, and the perpetrators go unpunished.
This impunity not only emboldens those who seek to harm or silence journalists and the media, it also undermines public confidence in the rule of law and democratic governance.”
Ms Okonkwo called on the government to “prioritise the protection of journalists through concrete measures and action, including strengthening legal protections by adopting and implementing laws that protect journalists from violence and harassment and by ensuring the swift prosecution of those responsible for crimes against media professionals.”
The statement added, “On the occasion of this year’s International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, Media Rights Agenda (MRA) calls on the Federal Government to take decisive action to ensure the safety of journalists in Nigeria, including by complying with the February 16, 2024 judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja directing it to take measures to prevent attacks on journalists and other media practitioners and to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of attacks against journalists.”