The coalition of journalists, civic defenders, and activists has launched a campaign for an end to all forms of crimes against journalists in the country.
The campaign, tagged #DontPoliceMySpeech, seeks to end the illegal arrest and abuse of journalists and citizens in Nigeria.
Speaking on Wednesday during the solidarity march to the headquarters of the federal ministry of justice in Abuja, Ejiro Umukoro, the executive director of LightRay! Media, said at least 14 journalists saw some form of harassment during the 2023 elections.
She also noted the arbitrary arrest and detention of some journalists without due process by security personnel.
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“The abuse of the Cybercrime Law as a tool to censor, gag, control, deny, abuse, and harass citizens and journalists alike is unconscionable when journalists are risking their lives in the line of duty to inform and protect both citizens and those in power or leadership,” Umukoro said.
Also speaking, Shirley Ewang, lead advocate at Gatefield, noted that the Cybercrimes Act, designed to combat online criminal activity, is being misused to restrain journalists from carrying out their duties.
She emphasised the need for safe press freedom, as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
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The coalition, made up of 200 media and civil society organisations (CSOs), including Gatefield, Accountability Lab Nigeria, Dataphyte Foundation, Humangle Media, Tap Initiative, and DigiCivic Initiative, had representatives present at the campaign.
Others are Follow Taxes, More Branches, Femme Mag, Paradigm Initiative, Invictus Africa, Marie Claire Nigeria, and Document Women.
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