The Media Rights Agenda (MRA), a non-governmental organization has raised concerns about the repeated attacks on journalists by some unknown armed hoodlums in Ope Nembe Community in Nembe Local Government Area in Bayelsa on Wednesday, calling the security agencies to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice. The non-governmental media advocacy organization noted this in
The Media Rights Agenda (MRA), a non-governmental organization has raised concerns about the repeated attacks on journalists by some unknown armed hoodlums in Ope Nembe Community in Nembe Local Government Area in Bayelsa on Wednesday, calling the security agencies to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The non-governmental media advocacy organization noted this in a statement issued by its Communications Officer, Idowu Adewale, on Thursday to address the attack on six journalists who went to cover a violent conflict in Opu Nembe community by hoodlums with reported weapons, leading to the confiscation of the journalists’s professional and personal gadgets.
According to the statement, some of the assaulted journalists- Mr. Joseph Kunde of the privately owned television station, TVC News, and his cameraman, Mr. Bina Miebi; Mr. Awe Baratuapere of the Federal Government-owned Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and his cameraman, Mr. Ayebakuro Egein; Mrs. Iniyekenime Doctor Bruce of Daar Communications Limited, owners of the Africa Independent Television (AIT) and RayPower radio; and Mr. Femi Folaranmi of The Sun Publishing Limited, were on the official duties representing their respective platforms, before the incident.
Speaking on the attacks on the journalists, the MRA programme officer, Mr John Gbadamosi condemned the incident, expressing his dissatisfaction with the inability of the police to protect the attacked journalists from such violation. He described the incident as “a sad dereliction of the Government’s obligation under international human rights law to prevent such attacks against journalists and generally ensure their safety.”
He went on to say that because the police have failed to perform their primary duty of protecting citizens, of which journalists are a part, they are now obligated to investigate the unfortunate assaults on journalists and bring the perpetrators to justice, implying that failure to do so means that the government condones the culture of impunity for journalist attacks.
He also called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Kayode Egbetokun to direct the Bayelsa police command to begin an immediate investigation on the matter adding that the recurrence of attacks on journalists does not “only jeopardise the safety and well-being of journalists but also poses a significant threat to the fundamental principles of freedom of the press and the health of our democracy, as the existence of media freedom in law and in practice is a critical component of any functioning democracy.”
He insisted that ignoring such incidents can discourage journalists from performing their jobs, noting that the regular and increasing frequency of physical violence against journalists has become deeply concerning and alarming.
Earlier this week, MRA had accused the Nigeria Police Force of shielding public officials from public scrutiny by using the police to intimidate journalists who want to demand accountability by publishing negative reports about them.
In statement to address the abuse of power of the police on journalists who reported about the happenings at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Enugu, including the closure of the hospital’s School of Post Basic Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing in Enugu, but were summoned by the Nigeria Police Force under the IGP monitoring unit for interrogation upon a petition filed by Dr Monday Nwite Igwe, the head of the hospital.
Condemning the development, Mr Ayode Longe, the MRA’s Deputy Executive Director, insisted that the Police acted illegally by violating Section 22 of the 1999 constitution, which empowers the media to hold the government accountable, indicating that impeding the duty of the media is a deliberate action to undermine the law and to prevent the media from performing its constitutionally mandated functions.
Mr. Longe further buttressed that inviting the three Enugu-based journalists, namely; Mr Petrus Obi of Everyday NewsNgr, Mr Ignatius Okpara of the African Examiner, and Mr Clinton Umeh of Journalists 101, to report to Abuja on Monday, on the allegation of conspiracy, cyberstalking and injurious falsehood, conduct likely to cause a breach of the public peace, and criminal defamation with intent to incite” amounted to bringing the highest office of the police force into disrepute.
Criticising the police further, Mr longe stated that the police devoted their energies and resources to chasing after journalists carrying out their constitutional functions, instead of paying attention to fighting the real criminals, including terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, hired assassins, armed robbers, murderers, human traffickers, rapists, and other violent criminals, and diverting such resources to aid personal vendettas.
“Clearly, rather than give a public explanation of his actions in response to the reports published by the journalists, in the best tradition of accountability as a public officer who should be accountable to the people, or initiate civil action for defamation against the journalists to vindicate his reputation, if he believes that he has been unjustifiably maligned, Dr Igwe has chosen to enlist the services of the Police in silencing and punishing these journalists for seeking to hold him accountable and thereby avoid having to account for his actions”, Mr Longe said.
He, therefore called on the IGP and the relevant agencies, including the National Assembly, to investigate the abuse of powers to punish journalists for carrying out their constitutionally assigned duties, stating that the police have a history of harassing media practitioners.
