The Media Rights Agency (MRA) has revealed that Nigeria’s security agencies were responsible for 45 out of the 69 attacks against journalists recorded between January and October 2024. In a report titled “Media Freedom Under Threat: The State of Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety in Nigeria 2024”, the MRA highlighted the growing hostility toward journalists by institutions tasked with protecting citizens, such as the police, military, and intelligence services.
According to the report, security agencies accounted for 65% of the attacks on journalists in 2024, a significant rise from 2022 and 2023, when they were responsible for 29 out of 64 and 34 out of 77 attacks, respectively.
The documented attacks in 2024 included:
• 21 cases of assault and battery
• 17 instances of arbitrary arrests and detention
• 3 raids on homes and offices of journalists
• 8 threats to life
• 6 cases of abductions/kidnappings
• 5 cases of journalists being obstructed from their duties
• 1 journalist killed
• 6 other forms of attacks
Key Incidents in 2024
Several high-profile cases illustrate the increasing threats journalists face:
• Daniel Ojukwu, a reporter for the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), was abducted by the police in Lagos on orders from Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun.
• Fisayo Soyombo, FIJ founder, was detained by the police in August and later arrested by the military in November.
• Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, was arrested by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in September.
• Adejuwon Soyinka, West Africa editor of Africa Confidential, was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) in August.
• In March, soldiers raided the home of Segun Olatunji, former editor of FirstNews, arresting him and detaining him in an underground military cell for two weeks.
MRA’s Condemnation
John Gbadamosi, MRA’s programme officer, condemned the security agencies’ actions, calling it “ironic” that institutions tasked with enforcing the rule of law have become the greatest threat to media freedom. He pointed out the pervasive culture of impunity as a key factor emboldening these attacks.
“The lack of accountability for past attacks has now emboldened these perpetrators to the extent that we are now seeing them at their most horrendous,” Gbadamosi stated.The worsening safety conditions for journalists in Nigeria highlight the urgent need for accountability and stronger protections for press freedom.