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As the #endbadgovernance protests enter the third day, the International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos finds it totally appalling that journalists covering and reporting the protests are still being targeted, victimized and brutally assaulted by security officials, hoodlums and anti-protesters.
In a statement by Melody Akinjiyan, the organization’s Press Freedom Officer, IPC frowned at the inhumane attitude towards the media and press men and women in the course of serving as societal watch dog.
Information gathered by IPC’s journalists’ safety alert situation room revealed that there is a continuous increase in the number of journalists and media professionals who are facing one form of attack or the other including physical assault, harassment, unlawful detention, etc.
The updated details of the incidents as documented by IPC’s Safety of Journalists Alert Desk include:
FCT, Abuja
Olukayode Jayeola, a photojournalist with The Punch Newspaper was arrested by police officers while covering the protest at Eagle Square. His camera, phones and other personal belongings were confiscated by security operatives.
Masked security operatives also fired sporadically at journalists at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja. Bullets pierced a Premium Times reporter’s car conveying journalists out of the location. The Journalists inside the car shot at by security agents are those of The Punch, The Cable, Premium Times, and Peoples Gazette.
Borno State
Nine (9) Radio Ndarason Internationale staff members were arrested by security officials in Maiduguri as they were reporting the protests.
IPC believes these increasing attacks are meant to deter the media from reporting the truth about the protests. This disturbing trend undermines not only the safety of the journalists concerned but also the integrity of the information citizens can rely on to understand the full scope of the crisis.
IPC reiterates the need for the Inspector General of Police and all other security agencies to call their men on the field to order. It is also crucial that all stakeholders come together to condemn the abuse and harassment of journalists and demand immediate protection for those on the field. Our collective voice is a powerful tool for advocating for their safety and ensuring that their essential work continues unhindered.
IPC will continue to call for an end to the brutality and for a renewed commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of all journalists.
