Mohammed Shosanya

The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Bayelsa State Council has honoured the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, with an Excellence Award in recognition of his contributions to the society.

The Chairman of the Council, Comrade Samuel Numonengi, presented the plague of award to Ogbuku at his country home in Ayakoro Community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa,a statement signed by Seledi Thompson-Wakama

Director, Corporate Affairs, NDDC said.

The statement quoted the NUJ chair as saying that the award was part of activities marking the Bayelsa State 2024 NUJ Press Week.

He said the union has gone through the track records of the NDDC Managing Director, particularly his leadership role in the commission which has translated in the various developmental projects embarked upon by the Commission such as the massive provision of Solar Street Lights to rural Niger Delta communities, and came to the conclusion that the MD deserved the award.

The NDDC Chief Executive Officer dedicated the award to the Commission and thanked the NUJ, Bayelsa State Council for recognising the interventionist role of the Commission, noting that the award would spur the Commission to do more on its mandate.

Acknowledging the watch-dog and agenda setting roles of the media in the society, the NDDC MD urged practicing journalists to always strive to be professional in their reportage.

He stated further that the media remained dependable partners in development, adding that the Commission under his leadership would continue to collaborate with the media for better people-oriented projects in the Niger Delta Region.

Mohammed Shosanya

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA),has condemned the harassment of the leader of a citizens group by the Department of State Services (DSS) for exercising their fundamental right to request information from the government under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011.

The group described the act of intimidation as unlawful and aimed at undermining the very principles of transparency and accountability that the Act is designed to uphold.

The DSS in Ibeju-Lekki in Lagos State is reported to have called one of the conveners of Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum, Mr. Jamiu Olayinka, on telephone in the morning of September 12, 2024 and asked him to report at the DSS office in Ibeju-Lekki at 10am that same day.

Mr. Olayinka said upon honouring the invitation, he was questioned about an FOI request made to the Lagos State Government and subsequent lawsuit filed to enforce compliance with the FOI request over the $100 million reportedly paid by billionaire businessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, to the state government for approximately 7,000 acres of land now occupied by Dangote Refinery, which was compulsorily acquired by the government without compensation and which the Government claimed to have given to Alhaji Dangote free of charge about nine years ago.

The FOI request was made by De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, a socio-cultural organisation, by a letter dated July 29, 2024, addressed to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, asking him to confirm a recent statement by Alhaji Dangote that he paid $100 million as compensation for the land he acquired for his refinery.

Following the government’s failure to respond, De Renaissance Patriots and the Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum filed a suit against the Government asking the Federal High Court in Lagos to compel the government to respond to Alhaji Dangote’s claim, and if the statement is true, to give a detailed account of how the money was collected and what it was used for.

In a statement by its Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Ayode Longe, MRA said: “The FOI Act was enacted to empower citizens to seek information, foster open governance, and ensure that government activities are transparent and accountable to the public. The harassment of individuals for legitimately exercising their right under the Act by submitting an FOI request and asking the court to enforce compliance is a direct violation of this right and a disturbing affront to the democratic ideals that Nigeria aspires to uphold.”

According to him, the FOI Act affirms the right of any person to access or request information “which is in the custody or possession of any public official, agency or institution howsoever described” while Section 1(3) of the Act also gives any person entitled to the right to information under it “the right to institute proceedings in the Court to compel any public institution to comply with the provisions of this Act.”

He insisted that the rights given to any person by the Act can be exercised by any group or body of persons in the light of the clear definition of a “person” under Section 30 of the Act to include “a corporation sole and body of persons whether corporate or incorporate, acting individually or as a group.”

He called on the government and all relevant authorities to put an immediate end to the intimidation and harassment of citizens seeking information through lawful means, saying that the actions of the DSS not only erode public trust in the government but also violate the legal rights of all Nigerians and members of the public to access information.

Mr. Longe said: “We urge the government to reaffirm its commitment to the rule of law and the principles of open government by ensuring that citizens can exercise their rights without fear of harassment, intimidation or retaliation. Those responsible for this harassment of citizens should be held accountable for this gross subversion of the Law and abuse of power, while the safety and freedom of those using the FOI Act to seek information must be guaranteed.”

Stressing that in a democracy, access to information is not a privilege but a right guaranteed by Law, he said: “We stand in solidarity with all citizens courageously and dutifully exercising their right to information and call for immediate remedial action to prevent further abuse of power by any organ or agency of Government.”

Mohammed Shosanya

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has implored the Lagos State Government to comply with the order of a Federal High Court in Lagos directing it to ensure an investigation into the death of a journalist,Mr. Pelumi Onifade.

Onifade,a 20-year reporter with Gboah TV, was reportedly arrested by the Police while covering the #EndSARS protests in 2020 and later found dead, and to identify and prosecute those responsible.

In a letter written on the organization’s behalf by its lawyer, Mr. Kingsley Kenechukwu, of the law firm of Charles Musa and Co., dated August 22, 2024 and addressed to the State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, the group urged the government to “comply with the directives of the honorable court so that justice would be seen to be done and hope given to the common man that there is still justice in the judicial system.”

Mr. Kenechukwu reminded the Attorney-General of the July 19, 2024 decision by Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji, citing page 15 of the judgment where the court directed him to take “all necessary steps to see to the investigation of the circumstances of the death of Pelumi Onifade and to conduct a coroner’s inquest to ascertain the cause of the death.”

He also referred to paragraph 14 of a counter-affidavit dated March 20, 2023 filed in the suit by the Attorney-General in which he stated that he would prosecute anyone found to have a prima facie case established against him in relation to the death of Mr. Onifade.

He recalled in the letter that during oral arguments which took place on May 13, 2024 in the suit instituted by MRA against the Police and the Lagos State Government over the death of the journalist, Mr. A. Amu, who represented the Attorney-General, also indicated willingness and readiness of the Attorney-General to conduct an inquest into the death.

He said, MRA is praying the government to comply with the court’s directives in the interest of justice.

MRA filed the suit against the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of Lagos State, asking the Court, among other things, to declare that Mr. Onifade’s shooting in Oko Oba in Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State, by policemen on October 24, 2020 in the course of his journalistic work is unconstitutional and a gross violation of his fundamental rights while his arrest and subsequent restriction on his liberty by the Police were unlawful.

Although Justice Faji held in his judgment that there was no evidence before the court to support MRA’s claim that the late journalist died in the custody of the Police after which his body was deposited at the Ikorodu Mortuary in Lagos, he however granted the organization’s request to order an investigation and directed the Attorney-General to take all necessary steps to see to the investigation of the circumstances of Mr. Onifade’s death; conduct a coroner’s inquest to ascertain the cause of the death; and identify and prosecute those responsible for his death.

Mohammed Shosanya

The Media Rights Agenda,has condemned the incessant harassment and intimidation of journalists in Nigeria.

The group said the recent incidents of abductions, arbitrary arrests, detention and other forms of attacks against media professionals by security and law enforcement agencies have reached alarming levels and are posing a grave danger to media freedom and democracy in the country.

The group maintained the harassment and intimidation of journalists by the Police and other security agencies is relentless and worrisome.

It cited as latest examples of this trend, the cases of Ms Ayomide Eweje, Managing Editor of “Alimosho Today”, a community news outlet based in Lagos; a former reporter with the news organization, Mr. Wisdom Okezie and the Publisher, Mr. Oluwamodupe Akinola, who have been asked by the Nigeria Police to report to the office of the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Police, Zone 2 Command in Onikan, Lagos, tomorrow, August 27, 2024 to “facilitate” an undisclosed investigation.

According to the group,the trio were invited through separate letters dated August 22, 2024, signed by Mr. Martin Nwogoh, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, on behalf of the AIG in charge of Zone 2 headquarters of the Nigeria Police, claiming that the office was “investigating a matter reported to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police” without saying who reported the matter or what information was required from those being invited to enable them prepare adequately.

The deputy police commissioner asked Ms Eweje, Mr. Okezie and Mr. Akinola to report to the officer in charge of the Zonal Monitoring Unit, stressing that “this is a fact-finding exercise in the interest of justice and fairness.”

In a statement issued in Lagos by the Head of its Legal Department, Ms Obioma Okonkwo, MRA said the failure of the Police to provide details in the letter of invitation was an ambush, adding that it had identified a pattern in numerous such invitations by the Police designed to lure journalists to the police station only to detain them when they report in response to the supposed invitation.

She said it was curious that the Police had become the weapon of choice for public officials and other rich or powerful individuals seeking to silence and punish journalists who publish negative reports about them.

She added: “It seems that the Police now consider journalism a crime such that anybody who is unhappy about any report published by the media is able to get the Police to hunt down any journalist involved with uncommon zeal even as real criminals go about their business unchallenged for the most part.”

According to her, it is also clear that whenever such complaints are made to the Police over media reporting, although the Police frequently claim to be investigating the complaints as their justification for summoning journalists, detaining them or charging them to court, no investigation is ever conducted to verify the truth or otherwise of the stories or articles published by journalists that resulted in the complaint made against them.

Ms Okonkwo implored the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, to put measures in place to stop the obvious abuse of Police powers noting that the consistent failure to check the practice in the past had created a climate of impunity as most Police officers now feel confident that there will be no negative consequences for them which has in turn emboldened many and resulted in an upsurge of unjustifiable harassment of journalists.

Mohammed Shosanya

The Media Rights Agenda,MRA,has implored the Federal Government and security agencies to protect journalists covering the protests scheduled to begin on August 1, 2024.

The group stressed that as citizens exercise their democratic right to protest unpopular government policies and actions, it is imperative that journalists are able to report on the events without fear of harassment, obstruction, or violence targeted at them.

In a statement issued on its behalf by Ms Esther Adeniyi,a Programme Officer, MRA urged the government and security agencies to adopt and implement specific measures to protect journalists during the protests, including ensuring their physical safety, respecting their right to gather information, and preventing any form of intimidation or violence against them.

According to her, the call became necessary due to recent events where journalists have faced undue harassment, obstruction, and violence while performing their duties with relevant authorities taking no steps or measures to ensure their safety, including during critical moments of public demonstrations.

Citing Principle 20 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in November 2019, which it said had been given judicial seal in Nigeria by a Federal High Court in Abuja, MRA said the Government has an obligation to take measures to prevent attacks against journalists and other media practitioners as well as to take effective legal and other measures to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of such attacks.

Shedding light on the scope of the government obligations, Ms Adeniyi insisted that journalists must be granted unhindered access to cover the protests and other public gatherings in general and that obstructing their ability to report in any way constitutes a direct violation of press freedom that also undermines the public’s right to be informed.

She said: “The right of journalists to cover protests is fundamental to a functioning democracy. As Nigeria braces for significant protests in the coming days, it is crucial that journalists are allowed to perform their duties safely and without interference. We call on the Government and security agencies to take immediate action and proactive measures to protect journalists and uphold the principles of press freedom.

” In particular, the Government and security agencies should respect the role of the media and allow journalists to report freely and without hindrance; take proactive measures to ensure the safety of journalists covering the protests, including protecting them from physical harm, harassment, and unjust arrest or detention, as well as promptly investigating and bringing to justice anyone who threatens, attacks or harms any journalist.”

Ms Adeniyi also called on members of the public, including protesters, to recognize the important role that journalists play in a democracy and, therefore, support and protect them as they report on critical events affecting the nation.

She urged journalists to implement personal security plans as they go about covering the protests given the documented instances of harassment, intimidation, and violence against media professionals during previous protests.

She also advised them to report any incident of attacks or harassment that they encounter while covering the protests through MRA’s hotline – 0806 524 0610.

Mohammed Shosanya

Team Lead of Platforms Africa, Adeola Yusuf,has mentored hundreds of young journalists and students of mass communication at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU),where he assured them of a promising future for journalism despite technological and economic challenges.

Yusuf, a three-time winner of the Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA), delivered a lecture titled; “Print Media Organisation in Nigeria From Conception To Economic Glory: Weaning The Young Journalists,” at a seminar for 300-level mass communication students of the University.

He stated that the consistent advancement in technology gives credence to his belief that no journalist who is creative should be out of job.

The media lecture also featured Nigeria’s former ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK), HE Sarafa Tunji-Isola; ex-information minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; TV host, Morayo Afolabi-Brown, and Chrisland varsity lecturer, Dr. Demolu Okuneye.

Yusuf,who admitted that technology posed some challenges to conventional journalism practice and made hard copy newspaper publishing and terrestrial broadcasting less lucrative, stated that the same technology, where properly studied and applied, has been a revenue spinner for many journalists and non-journalists in Nigeria and around the world.

He said:”Journalism is a trade no one can escape. You are either the seller, the product or the buyer,” he said, adding that while consistent change in technology has made many trained journalists to be products and buyers of information on new media, many untrained people have been smiling to the banks for adapting to and taking full advantage of the imminent change in technology.

“Many journalists who may be complaining of what they believed are disadvantages technology has brought to their trade, use their data to watch skits by Taoma, Mark Angel, Layi Wasabi, Mr. Macaroni and Lege Miami.

“Some even still marvel at how Instablog9ja and Linda Ikeji make a lot of money with their hot gist and society reportage. If you do not understand or agree with how skit makers are making it through creativity, the two blogs I have mentioned are already believed by many to be practising information dissemination – something close to journalism – with the help of the same technology many professionals complained about.

“They (the blogs) are owned by two young and creative Nigerians who never attended university to study mass communication. While Linda Ikeji studied English Language at the University of Lagos, the owner of Instablog9ja, according to the blog, is Mr. Aruleba who studied an agric related course at the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB). Without prejudice, these young Nigerians have done well for themselves using the tools many who were trained in mass communication have failed to use – technology.

“Good news is that professionals are now becoming awake with establishments of thriving online newspapers like Platforms Africa, Premium Times, The Cable, The Eagle Online, and Freedom online, among others. Conventional newspapers, too, are not left out as they now have versatile online editions and PDF papers. It is as simple as if you are not there, you are nowhere!

“The time you have spent being a product or buyer of information with your data is enough. You are students here to study Mass Communication to be actively involved in the trade of journalism as the seller of information. What else are you waiting for?”

Commending the Platforms Africa boss, lecturers including the Dean faculty of social sciences, Prof. Dele Odunlami; course lecturer, Associate Prof. Semiu Bello; Head of Mass Communication department Dr. Lanre Akinola and others commended Adeola Yusuf and other guest lecturers for mentoring the students.

Professor Odunlami, a globally recognised scholar of communication, expressed admiration for Adeola Yusuf’s Platforms Africa and its style of news writing and headline casting.

“I usually see the byline as I have been reading your stories. I am happy that I am meeting you in person today,” Professor Odunlami said.

He charged the students to take note and make full use of the pieces of advice given by Yusuf and all the resource persons.

“These pieces of advice from our resource persons will go a long way in brightening up your future in your chosen carrier as journalists or broadcasters,” he added.

Mohammed Shosanya

A coalition of Nigerian journalists and civic space defenders,Wednesday  launched the #DontPoliceMySpeech campaign a public demand for an end to the abuse of power and the criminalization of free speech by Nigerian authorities.

The campaign highlighted the misuse and weaponization of the Cybercrimes Act in a bid to silence and prevent journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens from exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights to free speech and expression.

The civil society organizations that signed on the campaign include; Accountability Lab Nigeria, Paradigm Initiative, SERAP, CJID, Dataphyte Foundation, Humangle Media, Tap Initiative, DigiCivic Initiative, Follow Taxes, Document Women, More Branches, Femme Mag, LightRay Media, Invictus Africa, Marie Claire, Document Women and Gatefield.

The group said the cases of journalists’ arrest during this administration send a disturbing message that no one is safe for expressing their opinion.

The Cybercrimes Act, originally designed to combat online criminal activity, has morphed into a tool for silencing dissent. Despite its recent amendment, Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act, continues to be misused by Nigerian security agencies in violation of the Nigerian constitution.

The campaign has released a public service announcement (PSA) video and a set of posters that depict the several ways in which Nigerian security authorities have violated the rights of journalists and citizens in a bid to silence them.

Besides,a peaceful march involving approximately 200 journalists, civil society organizations, and citizens was held at the Ministry of Justice, demanding an end to infringements on freedom of expression and unlawful arrests.

“Freedom of expression is entrenched in the Nigerian Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of which Nigeria is a signatory,” affirmed the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists during the march. Shirley Ewang, Advocacy Lead at Gatefield emphasized, “The stifling of the press and public discourse is authoritarian and undermines citizens’ rights to demand accountability. Nigerians are weary of these abuses under what is supposed to be a democratic government. We call on the Ministry of Justice to cease using taxpayers’ money to prosecute journalists for exercising their right to freedom of expression.”

 The key demands of the coalition include: immediate end to police abuse of power, Ensure justice is properly ordered, and Protection of fundamental rights for all Nigerians.

Mohammed Shosanya

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA),has expressed concern over the recent abduction of two journalists based in Kaduna State, along with their wives and children, and called on the Federal Government to take immediate action to secure their safe release in accordance with its duty to ensure the safety of journalists and other media workers.

About 15 armed men had invaded the Dahjonu community in Millennium City, in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State in the night of Saturday, July 6, 2024, and abducted Mr. Abdulgafar Alabelewe, a reporter with The Nation newspaper; and Mr. AbdulRaheem Abdu of Blueprint newspaper, along with their wives and children.

In a statement issued in Lagos, MRA’s Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Ayode Longe, said the kidnap of the two journalists and their families is a heinous act that underscores the growing dangers faced by journalists in Nigeria and the urgent need for the Federal Government to fulfill its obligation to ensure the safety of journalists and other media workers.

He added:”We unequivocally condemn the abduction and call on the Federal Government, as well as all relevant security and law enforcement agencies, to take all necessary measures to secure the immediate and safe release of these journalists and their families. The government must also act swiftly and decisively to bring the perpetrators of this despicable crime to justice.”

He emphasized that the safety of journalists is vital to the preservation of media freedom and the protection of human rights, adding that journalists play a crucial role in informing the public, holding power to account, and fostering a democratic society, adding that any attack on them is an attack on the collective right of Nigerians to information and freedom of expression.

He noted that in addition to Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, which makes the security of all Nigerians, including journalists, the primary purpose of government,the government also has an obligation under various regional and international instruments to which Nigeria is a party to ensure the safety of journalists, to properly and adequately investigate any attack against journalists and to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

He urged the government to reaffirm its commitment to the safety of journalists by taking concrete steps to protect media professionals from threats, violence and other forms of attacks, including ensuring that security agencies are adequately equipped and trained to respond to such incidents and that there is a clear and effective strategy for preventing future abductions and attacks on journalists.

He said MRA stands in solidarity with the families of Mr. Alabelewe and Mr. Abdu during what must be an incredibly difficult time for them, and called on all Nigerians to join it in demanding the safe return of the journalists and their families.