The attack on the facilities of the Media Rights Agenda(MRA) in Lagos, has been condemned by the Coalition for Whistleblower Protection and Press Freedom(CWPPF) and has demanded an investigation into the incident.

The MRA’s office was attacked yesterday by unknown persons who carted equipment like laptops, hard drives, devices worth millions of naira, and containing sensitive information from years of diligent and impactful work.

A statement signed by the Coalition whose members include notable media organisations like Premium Times, OrderPaper, Advocacy Initiative, The Cable, Daily Trust Newspaper, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID),African Centre for Media Information Literacy (AFRICMIL),Civic Media Lab, Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC),International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR),International Press Centre (IPC),International Press Institute, Nigeria, Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ),Paradigm Initiative, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), and HEDA Resources Centre noted that the attack was against press freedom in Nigeria.

The statement added that the incident will dampen the spirit of the organisation to promote and defend media freedom of expression in the country.

The Coalition also charged the police and other law enforcement agencies to unravel the motive behind the attack and recover the gadgets taken away from the office.

The statement further reads:” The Coalition for Whistleblower Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF), condemns in the strongest terms, a recent attack on the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) office in Lagos by yet-to-be-identified persons.

“Over the years, the MRA has remained a critical pillar advancing the protection of digital rights and press freedom in Nigeria – two defining components of our nascent democracy. We are deeply concerned by the carting away of laptops, hard drives and other devices worth millions of naira, containing sensitive information from years of diligent and impactful work.

“This attack is one of many repressive practices in the coordinated onslaught against the media and press freedom in Nigeria. However, like other ones in the past, it will not dampen our spirit, affect our capacity to carry out our work of promoting and defending media freedom, freedom of expression and access to information in Nigeria.

“We call on the police and other security agencies to intensify investigations to arrest the attackers, unravel the motive behind the dastardly act and recover the items that were carted away.

“The coalition restates the unwavering commitment of the MRA and its other member organisations, to continue supporting and entrenching the ideals of democracy in Nigeria”.