The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a civil society that promotes press freedom around the world, has named Nigeria as one of the countries abusing the law to jail and imprison journalists.
According to a report naming countries that frequently jail journalists published on Thursday, the CPJ states that the Nigerian government detained at least four journalists in 2024, despite an amendment to the law in the same year.
It explained that the Act was consistently used as a tool to summon, intimidate and detain journalists in the course of their jobs in 2024.
“Nigeria is using a cybercrimes law to prosecute its four imprisoned journalists for their reporting on alleged corruption. Despite reforms to the country’s Cybercrimes Act in February 2024, it continues to be used to summon, intimidate, and detain journalists for their work,” the report states.
The report highlighted Nigeria as one of the countries in the world where journalists are jailed under the guise of criminalising cybercrime. Nigeria and these countries have laws that enable them to go after journalists who demand accountability.
It said Nigeria alongside Bangladesh, Jordan, Nicaragua, Pakistan and others have these laws that enable them to jail journalists.
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“Cybercrime laws and similar legislation governing online content over the past decade increasingly use the guise of ‘fighting cybercrime’ to criminalise and jail journalists in Bangladesh, Jordan, Nicaragua, Nigeria and Pakistan, among others.”
JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE BEEN IMPRISONED UNDER THE CYBERCRIME ACT
SALIHU AYATULLAHI & ADISA-JAJI AZEEZ
Salihu Ayatullahi, editor-in-chief, and Adisa-Jaji Azeez, managing editor of Informant247, were both arrested and detained by the Kwara State Police in February for reports linking Engineer Abdul Jimoh Muhammed, Rector of Kwara State Polytechnic, to financial fraud.
They were accused of conspiracy and cyberstalking under Section 24(1)(b) of Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act and defamation under Section 393 of the Penal Code Act.
A magistrate court in Ilorin later dismissed the defamation suit filed against them. If the journalists were found guilty, they faced up to a 12-year jail term with fines.
AGBA JALINGO
Agba Jalingo, a journalist with the Cross River Watch, was acquitted of charges of Cybercrime after a two-year prosecution involving Ben Ayade, the former governor of Cross River State.
He was arrested in August 2022 and accused of violating the Section 24 (1)b of the Cybercrime Act.
This was over a publication he wrote about Ayade’s relative engaging someone to illegally sit for law exams on her behalf.
He had been earlier arrested in 2019 by the Ayade administration when he was detained for six months for criticising the ex-governor’s embezzlement of public funds.
DANIEL OJUKWU
Daniel Ojukwu, an FIJ reporter, was abducted by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector General of Police in May. They claimed he violated the 2015 Cybercrime Act.
The police only revealed that Ojukwu was held at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Lagos, three days after he was reported missing.
He subsequently spent 10 days in detention before his release on May 10.
— FIJ
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