TWO media houses and 65 Nigerian journalists were attacked in nine months, the International Press Centre (IPC) has said.
In a report released on Saturday by the IPC’s Safety and Protection of Journalists Hub (SPJ-Hub), it said the attacks took place between January and September 2024.
“No fewer than forty (40) cases of attacks involving over sixty-five (65) journalists and two (2) media outlets were reported and documented as follows: Male – thirty-six (36), Female – five (5), Not applicable/mentioned – (24),” the report read.
The affected states are Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Ogun, FCT Abuja, Oyo, Katsina, Abia, Delta, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Borno, Sokoto, and Kwara.
On the nature of the attacks, the report listed it as, “Unlawful & prolonged detention; robbery attack; harassment; intimidation; physical assault; gunshot; confiscation of work equipment; vandalism; abduction; murder; threat to life; invasion and barred from live coverage”.
The IPC said via its Press Freedom Officer Melody Akinjiyan that stakeholders are working on frameworks to expand the frontiers of press freedom.
“IPC is glad that arising from the efforts so far, media stakeholders are now working on institutional and legislative frameworks that will expand the frontiers of press freedom,” he said.
“We consider this a welcome development and hope that the efforts yield fruits sooner than later.”
“As we continue to make efforts with other interest groups, our message to our governments is that they have a constitutional obligation to guarantee press freedom and ensure the safety of journalists. We shall not relent in making them realize that a free press makes democracy meaningful,” the IPC said.
