By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The International Press Centre (IPC) on Friday, alerted that no fewer than 66 Nigerian journalists suffered various forms of attack in 2022.
IPC Programme Officer, Mrs Melody Akinjiyan who made this known while presenting report of attack on journalists in 2022 at the World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) Media Roundtable in Ibadan, said three media houses were also affected by the attack.
Speaking at the WPFD Media Roundtable and Stakeholders’ Forum on Journalists’ Safety and Protecting Freedom of Expression in the age of Misinformation and Disinformation organised by IPC in partnership with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, sponsored by Open Society Foundation, she said the 66 reported attacks was a worrisome rise as compared to the over 40 cases recorded in 2021.
According to the IPC Programme Officer, the attacks are 24
physical assault , seven abductions, one gun attack, two threats to life, two threats to disclose source /intimidation, one
invasion, one media shutdown and one robbery.
Mrs Akinjiyan listed others as one denial of access to information, two harassment, 21 unlawful arrest and detention, one hacking of account and two threats to sanction/payment of fine.
“Of the 66 journalists, 56 are male and 10 female. Among them are 13 print journalists, 26 broadcast, 24 online media practitioners and three others”, she said.
Mrs Akinjiyan added, “26 of the journalists are from the South-West, 16 from North-Central, 10 from South-South, six from North-East, four from North-West and 10 from South-East.
“The states where the incident happened are Zamfara, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kwara, Gombe, Taraba, Adamawa, Bauchi, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Oyo, Enugu, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Cross River and FCT Abuja,” she said.
Speaking further, the IPC Programme Officer stressed that the various attacks as reported were allegedly carried out by security agencies, political thugs, armed robbers and militant groups like the Islamic State’s of West Africa Province (ISWAP).
While tasking journalists to demonstrate greater sense of solidarity in dealing with attacks on media and abuses on rights of colleagues in the profession, Mrs Akinjiyan pointed out that the figure compiled were the only reported of the several unreported cases, urging journalists in the country to share information on attacks with IPC.
The IPC Director, Mr Lanre Arogundade while launching IPC’s Centre for Safety and Protection of Journalists (I-CSPJ), disclosed that its goal is to contribute to the future of rights by advocating and promoting the safety of journalists.
Mr Arogundade maintained that the establishment of the centre is also to create awareness on the imperative of protecting journalists especially as they serve as frontline workers during crisis or emergency situations.
“The overarching framework for the establishment of I-CSPJ is the strategic objective of expanding the frontiers of press freedom in Nigeria and Africa, which journalists’ safety is an integral part. The goal of I-CSPJ therefore is to contribute to that future of rights by advocating and promoting the safety of journalists”, he said.
Mr Arogundade added, “And creating awareness on the imperative of protecting journalists especially as they serve as frontline workers during crisis or emergency situations”.
