Newsroom Nigeria
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
  • Login
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
No Result
View All Result
Newsroom Nigeria
No Result
View All Result

Group Calls on Government to Investigate Attacks on  Journalists, Prosecute Perpetrators

Besides, he said, in the last one year alone, MRA collated and documented over 47 incidents of attacks against journalists, media workers and media houses

Newsroom Nigeria by Newsroom Nigeria
November 2, 2022
Reading Time: 5 mins read
DEAR READERS: THE POWER OF YOUR EYES
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

This Might Also Interest You

MAY 29: HOW YORUBA NATION “ARMY” HIJACKED RADIO STATION IN IBADAN

IGP ALKALI BABA NOT SACKED – POLICE

ADESINA, ADB PRESIDENT ADVISES TINUBU TO REMOVE FUEL SUBSIDY, REDUCE COST OF GOVERNANCE

MAY 29: COURT FINES TINUBU’S OPPONENTS N15 MILLION, DISMISSES SUIT

Media Rights Agenda (MRA) today called on Governments at all levels to fulfill their obligations to ensure the safety of journalists by investigating all attacks against media practitioners as well as prosecuting and punishing the perpetrators of such attacks. The organization said this would send a strong signal to those who attack journalists that they can no longer do so with impunity while also giving the media the confidence to carry out their functions without fear.

MRA made the call at a press conference it organized to commemorate the 2022 edition of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and the 10-year anniversary of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, which was endorsed by the UN Chief Executives Board, the highest-level coordination mechanism in the UN system.

Addressing journalists in Lagos, MRA’s Programme Director, Mr. Ayode Longe, reminded the government that the security of citizens is one of its primary functions and urged the Federal Government to develop and adopt robust mechanisms to protect journalists and ensure their safety and security.

Noting that 10 years after the UN came out with the Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists, Nigeria has not taken any concrete action to stem the spate of attacks against journalists and the media in the country, he said the increasing level of attacks against media practitioners and organizations in the country was shocking and ought to be a source of concern for everyone.

According to Mr. Longe, MRA has recorded and documented dozens, even hundreds, of attacks against journalists over the years and is yet to hear of any instance where a journalist has been killed in Nigeria and a serious investigation was conducted and the perpetrators arrested and prosecuted.

He challenged the Government to cite any attack on journalists or the media that it has seriously investigated and share with the public the outcome of any such investigation, including details of those arrested and prosecuted for the offence.

Specifically, Mr. Longe said, since the beginning of the current democratic dispensation on May 29, 1999 to date, MRA has collated and documented cases of 19 journalists killed and in none of these killings has the Federal Government investigated, arrested, prosecuted or brought any of the perpetrators to justice.

Besides, he said, in the last one year alone, MRA collated and documented over 47 incidents of attacks against journalists, media workers and media houses, adding that in the course of their work, journalists are arrested and detained, assaulted and beaten, abducted, have their equipment and gadgets confiscated and, in some cases, destroyed, have their operations disrupted among other form of attacks.

Mr. Longe noted that MRA’s records showed that men of the Nigerian Police are the major perpetrators of the attacks against journalists as MRA had documented over 15 of such incidents in which they were the perpetrators, with armed hoodlums and political thugs coming a close second.

He said it was ironic that the Nigerian Police and other law enforcement and security agents that Nigerians should be relying on to protect journalists and the media from attacks by political thugs and other bad actors are themselves the worst culprits.

Mr. Longe expressed concern that the Police are also being frequently used to harass and intimidate journalists and other media workers by the rich and powerful who are uncomfortable with the media beaming the searchlight on them and their activities.

He noted that in the last six months, MRA has recorded at least six such incidents where journalists were accused of criminal defamation, cyberstalking or such other offence by the law enforcement agencies acting on the biddings of politicians.

Reminding the government that the world is moving away from criminalizing expression and as such journalists should not be arrested, detained or charged to court over stories and reports that they have published, he noted that the Police continue to use the provisions of Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 to charge journalists and other Nigerians with cyberstalking despite the fact that the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has declared the provision to be a violation of the right to freedom of expression.

Mr. Longe described the continued use of the provision of the Cybercrimes Act to harass journalists and other citizens as a brazen disregard for the decision of the ECOWAS Court, a violation of Nigeria’s treaty obligations and an unjustifiable disrespect for the court.

He called on members of the public to take an interest in the safety of journalists and do everything within their power to help protect them and take action to ensure that those who attack them are brought to justice.

Previous Post

Sterling Reaffirms Commitment To Agriculture At Fifth ASA

Next Post

Fidelity Bank Partners Invest Africa to Showcase the Best of Nigeria’s Non-Oil Exports

Related Posts

MAY 29: HOW YORUBA NATION “ARMY” HIJACKED RADIO STATION IN IBADAN
News

MAY 29: HOW YORUBA NATION “ARMY” HIJACKED RADIO STATION IN IBADAN

May 29, 2023
IGP ALKALI BABA NOT SACKED – POLICE
News

IGP ALKALI BABA NOT SACKED – POLICE

May 29, 2023
ADESINA, ADB PRESIDENT ADVISES TINUBU TO REMOVE FUEL SUBSIDY, REDUCE COST OF GOVERNANCE
News

ADESINA, ADB PRESIDENT ADVISES TINUBU TO REMOVE FUEL SUBSIDY, REDUCE COST OF GOVERNANCE

May 29, 2023
MAY 29: COURT FINES TINUBU’S OPPONENTS N15 MILLION, DISMISSES SUIT
JUDICIARY

MAY 29: COURT FINES TINUBU’S OPPONENTS N15 MILLION, DISMISSES SUIT

May 26, 2023
ROAD TO HEAVEN MAY NO LONGER BE NARROW
Faith&Religion

ROAD TO HEAVEN MAY NO LONGER BE NARROW

May 26, 2023
Prostate Cancer Survivors Share Experiences  at Reddington Hospital
Life and Style

Prostate Cancer Survivors Share Experiences  at Reddington Hospital

May 26, 2023
Next Post
Fidelity Bank Partners Invest Africa to Showcase the Best of Nigeria’s Non-Oil Exports

Fidelity Bank Partners Invest Africa to Showcase the Best of Nigeria’s Non-Oil Exports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

OUR PRIORITY IS TO COMPLETE ON-GOING PROJECTS – GOV ABDULRAZAQ TELLS KWARANS

OUR PRIORITY IS TO COMPLETE ON-GOING PROJECTS – GOV ABDULRAZAQ TELLS KWARANS

May 29, 2023
DOKPESI, RAY POWER/AIT FOUNDER DIES IN ABUJA

DOKPESI, RAY POWER/AIT FOUNDER DIES IN ABUJA

May 29, 2023
FUEL SUBSIDY GONE, NAIRA SWAP POLICY FOR REVIEW – PRESIDENT TINUBU

FUEL SUBSIDY GONE, NAIRA SWAP POLICY FOR REVIEW – PRESIDENT TINUBU

May 29, 2023
MAY 29: HOW YORUBA NATION “ARMY” HIJACKED RADIO STATION IN IBADAN

MAY 29: HOW YORUBA NATION “ARMY” HIJACKED RADIO STATION IN IBADAN

May 29, 2023
IGP ALKALI BABA NOT SACKED – POLICE

IGP ALKALI BABA NOT SACKED – POLICE

May 29, 2023
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates

© 2022 Newsroom Nigeria is published by Newsroom Communication Services, a Media and Communication Company.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment

© 2022 Newsroom Nigeria is published by Newsroom Communication Services, a Media and Communication Company.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In