Human Rights Watchdog, Amnesty International has raised alarm that Human Rights in Nigeria, particularly those of journalists, are at risk because of the recent trend of intimidating journalists and crack down on peaceful protests.
The Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Osai Ojigho made this known in a statement on Wednesday to commemorate World Press Freedom Day.
He condemned the intimidation and harassment of journalists and bloggers, as well as violent crackdowns on peaceful protest.
He said it shows the determination of the authorities to suppress the rights of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in Nigeria.
Amnesty called on Nigerian authorities to desist from the disturbing patterns of using security agencies to silence dissenting voices.
Ojigho said, “Many Nigerians are becoming increasingly afraid of exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”
The statement noted the arbitrary arrests of journalists to include; “On January 1 2018 blogger Daniel Elombah and his brother Izuchukwu Elombah were arrested in Nnewi Anambra state and detained without trial for 25 days by Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).”
“The blogger was unlawfully detained based on allegations that he published an article critical of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
Also; “Tony Ezimakor, a journalist with Independent newspapers was detained by operatives of Nigeria’s secretive service Directorate of State Security DSS on February 28 in connection with a story alleging that a ransom was paid to Boko Haram insurgents for the release of 82 of the Chibok school girls.
“Tony was held in DSS custody for seven days and was only released on March 6 after several attempts to force him to name his sources.
Amnesty said, “On March 13, Musa Abdullahi Kirishi a reporter with Daily Trust newspapers was abducted by heavily armed policemen in the premises of the National Assembly, Abuja.
“Policemen told him that they had been given instructions to arrest him and take him to Kano police command because of an advertorial his newspaper ran that annoyed a top politician. He was released later that afternoon.
Ojigho said, “This trend of harassment and intimidation has created a climate of fear, whereby journalists are perpetually afraid of being arrested for doing their job.
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He said, “Journalists have a responsibility to the public, not the government, and must be allowed to do their job.”
He added that, “Increasingly, across Nigeria there are reports of people being threatened, and often arrested, for merely sharing their opinion via social media.”
He said, “In July 2017 Muhammed Kime was arrested by the police in Damaturu Yobe State for a Facebook post critical of a federal lawmaker.”
Ojigho also condemned violent crackdown on protest, noting that the recent response of Nigeria’s security agencies to the exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly has been violent.
He said on 16 April, unarmed members of IMN who were protesting the unlawful detention of their leader, Sheik Ibraheem El Zakzaky, at Unity Fountain in Abuja were dispersed with live bullets, tear gas and water cannon. More than 115 protestors were arrested and many injured.
He said subsequent attempts by IMN members to hold peaceful protests in other parts of Abuja were also dispersed violently by the police.
He also said on April 23 and 24 members of the “Bring Back Our Girls” movement were denied access to Unity Fountain where they have been holding a daily “sit-out” since 2014.
He added that the Police used tear gas to chase away the activists, in spite of the fact that their advocacy has always been peaceful.
“Using the police to prevent these peaceful assemblies violates international and Nigerian laws. It is also worrying that police have always used excessive force on citizens exercising their rights,” said Osai Ojigho.
He added that, “Security forces’ arrest of journalists and violent disruption of peaceful protests are draconian responses to people exercising their rights.”
Amnesty International is calling on Nigerian authorities to take urgent steps to end the use of excessive force by security forces to disperse peaceful protests and arbitrary arrests, intimidation and harassment of journalists and bloggers.
He said the authorities should launch a thorough, impartial, independent and transparent investigation into the allegations of violent crackdown on protests and arrests of journalists, and to bring those suspected to be responsible to justice.
When contacted the spokesman of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) ACP Jimooh Mooshood said,” the report is not true, no journalist is under any arrest or detention as we speak to best of my knowledge.”
