ActionAid warns against persecution of journalists

ActionAid, an international non-governmental organisation (NGO), says continued violation on media freedom is “detrimental to our democracy” and “is a dangerous walk back to the dark days of the 1990s.”

Ojobo Atuluku, country director of the organisation, said this while condemning the arrest of Dapo Olorunyomi and Evelyn Okakwu, journalists of Premium Times.

The duo were arrested over a report that the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) was investigating Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, for allegations of corruption.

Atuluku said if any media organisation publishes any information that is considered false, relevant authorities should seek civil ways of dealing with such issues.

She said journalists should not be persecuted for performing their responsibilities of informing and educating the public.

“[Olorunyomi] is one of the courageous journalists who made enormous sacrifice for the country to attain civil rule,” Atuluku said in a statement.

“The continued infringement on freedom of the media is detrimental to our democracy and is a dangerous walk back to the dark days of the 1990s in which security operatives themselves became vulnerable to the most dreadful form of dictatorship.

“Nigeria is not a police state, so journalists should not be persecuted for executing their responsibility of informing and educating the public. The Freedom of Information Act (FOI) allows citizens access to public records and information held by public officials or institutions.

“It empowers the press to discharge its duty fairly and truthfully and the government has the responsibility of upholding the law and promoting democracy without any form of press bullying.”

Atuluku called on the police and other security agencies to refrain from arresting journalists “who are fulfilling their constitutional obligation as enshrined in Section 22 of the constitution”.