A human rights group,Global Rights,has urged Guaranty Trust Bank and its Chief Executive Officers to unconditionally drop charges against four Nigerian journalists who are being detained in prison over an alleged cyber stalking crime.
Olurotimi Olawale, Precious Eze Chukwunonso, Roland Olonishuwa, and Seun Odunlami,have been detained in prison since September 2024 .
In a recent statement by the group’s Executive Director,Abiodun Baiyewu,he also told the bank to compensate the journalists for their unlawful detention and reputational harm.
According to the group,the Chief Justice of Nigeria must mandate the judiciary to dismiss criminal cases that blatantly violate constitutionally protected rights to free expression and press freedom.
It urged the National Assembly and State Legislatures must repeal laws criminalizing defamation. Defamation is a civil matter and should not be weaponized to silence critics.
The group also advised that the Inspector General of Police and law enforcement agencies must resolve not to waste resources pursuing cases stemming from personal vendettas and attempts to suppress dissent.
It added:” No law or action that infringes on the rights of the press or free expression should stand. Consequently, we call on all stakeholders to reaffirm Nigeria’s commitment to democracy by ending the persecution of journalists and protecting the fundamental freedoms that uphold a vibrant civic space. Let this be our charge at the start of a new year”.
The group faulted Guaranty Trust Bank for turning a blind eye to its complicity in the violation of the human rights of the detained journalists,adding that the bank has forgotten that it owes a fiduciary duty to its shareholders to respect human rights and engender public goodwill.
He group lamented that the institution has exploited its power and connections to weaponize the criminal justice system against these members of the Fourth Estate,marking a disturbing escalation in the suppression of press freedom in Nigeria.
It added:”This case highlights an alarming trend of the misuse of legal instruments by powerful individuals and institutions to attack journalists and civic actors who expose unflattering truths. As demonstrated in both the Dele Farotimi case and the plight of these journalists, this unethical practice, which underlies a blatant disregard for the rule of law, underscores an undemocratic message: dissent will not be tolerated and the powerful are at liberty to weaponize instruments of the state, especially enforcement to subvert justice and crush citizens who dare paint unflattering portraits of them.
“Nigeria is a democracy—at least in principle—a constitutional republic where the right to freedom of the press (Section 22) and freedom of expression (Section 39) are enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended). These provisions mandate the press to hold power accountable and empower citizens to express themselves freely. Yet, laws like the Cybercrime Act of 2015 (as amended) and outdated criminal defamation statutes have been wielded to crush dissent, silence critics, and further shrink the civic space. It is our considered opinion that these laws are inconsistent with constitutional guarantees and must be declared void to the extent of their inconsistency.
“The charges against these journalists range from making “false and misleading allegations” to allegedly causing “harm” to GTBank’s reputation—are rooted in an authoritarian misuse of the Cybercrimes Act and Nigeria’s criminal code. It is terrifying that if they are convicted, they face draconian penalties, including up to 14 years in prison.
“It is important for all well-meaning Nigerians, especially the government, to recognize this genre of impunity and demand an immediate stop to them. As 2025 unfolds, the Nigerian judiciary, legislature,and law enforcement must prioritize the protection of press freedom and end their complicity in the erosion of Nigeria’s democratic values”.
