Attacks against the press and journalism have continued to be on the rise as the Coalition for Whistleblowers Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF), a coalition of media organisations and advocacy groups committed to upholding democracy and good governance by protecting the ethos of whistleblowing, freedom of expression, and press freedom, has condemned the detention of Mr. Daniel Ojukwu, a reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, who men of the Nigeria Police Force abducted.

Mr. Ojukwu reportedly went missing on Wednesday, May 1, with his phone turned off and his whereabouts unknown to coworkers, family, and friends. On Thursday, through the help of a private detective who tracked his last active location through his phone, his organization eventually discovered that the police at Isheri Olofin picked him up.

Upon the discovery that Mr. Ojukwu was held incommunicado for three days at the Lagos State Police Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that Mr. Ojukwu was arrested by men of the National Cybercrime Centre (NCC) of the Nigerian Police.

The abduction of the FIJ reporter was similar to that of the FirstNews editor, Mr Segun Olatunji, who was abducted by the military from his Lagos home on March 15 and taken to Abuja, where he was held incommunicado for days before being released.

Reacting to the recurring incident, a statement signed by Busola Ajibola on behalf of CWPPF described Mr Ojukwu’s arrest as a violation of his rights and press freedom in the country. The coalition further decried the arbitrary abuse of the Cybercrime ACT 2015 to tame journalists and media practitioners from performing their constitutional duties.

CWPPF also urged the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to avoid using the cybercrime law to prevent journalists in the country from carrying out their duties.

“CWPPF condemns the arrest and continued detention of Mr. Ojukwu. Arbitrary arrest and detention of journalists remain unacceptable as it negates the basic principles of democracy.

“The arrest and continued detention of Mr Ojukwu was not only a violation of his fundamental human rights but also an assault on press freedom.

“We call on the Nigerian police to immediately release Mr Daniel Ojukwu and follow legal procedures to engage him.

“We also call on the Inspector General of Police to ensure that the Cybercrime Act 2015 ceases to be a weapon used in the harassment and arbitrary detainment of journalists and media workers. We make this call based on past instances where the Cybercrime law has been used to criminalise journalism, harass and detain them.

“We reiterate that such intimidation constitutes an attack on press freedom and the right of the people to information.

“The Nigerian Police, in this instance, must, therefore, avoid using the Cybercrimes Act to suppress investigative journalism aimed at entrenching a transparent and accountable system.

“Journalism plays a critical role in democracy, and such actions are bound to undermine its core principles.