The International Centre for Investigative Reporting, on Thursday, expressed concerns over an invitation letter addressed to one of its journalists, Nurudeen Akewushola, and the organisation’s “managing directors” by the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre.
The organisation said the letter from the police, which it received on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, was dated April 16, 2024, and the journalist was expected to report to the cybercrime centre on April 24, 2024, about three weeks before the organisation got the letter.
According to the ICIR, the police said they were investigating a case of cyberstalking and defamation of character in which the journalist “featured prominently.”
The organisation said the invitation lacked details, urging the police to rewrite its letter and provide adequate details.
It also raised the alarm about “the growing trend of the crackdown on journalists by security operatives using the Cybercrimes Act, despite a recent amendment to the legislation following public outcry that it was being manipulated to stifle free speech and harass journalists.”
According to ICIR, the police invitation to the journalist read: “You are requested to interview the Director of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) plot 625 Mission Road, Diplomatic Zone, Central Business District, Abuja through CSP Omaka Udodinma Chukwu on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Call 08067854241 on your arrival. Your cooperation in this regard will be highly appreciated, please.”
When Punch contacted on Thursday evening, the Director of the Nigeria Police Force-National Cyber Crime Centre, Uche Ifeanyi, defended the invitation of the journalist, saying there was a petition against the media house.
“There is a case against them that they have to come and answer,” Ifeanyi said. When asked why the invitation got to the organisation late, he said the ICIR was in the best position to answer that.
“They should be able to answer that question,” he told The PUNCH in a telephone interview. “Since there is a police invitation, they should honour the invitation,” he added, noting that there was no law stating that journalists should not be invited.
“There is no how they will know the details if they don’t come. If there is an invitation, it means it’s official,” he insisted without providing further details.
Meanwhile, in its statement, the ICIR said there were no details of the petition that led to the investigations for cyberstalking and defamation of character, as this would have helped the reporter better prepare for the interview with the police.
The organisation, however, said it suspected the invitation was related to an investigative report done by the journalist in question, Akewushola.
“The report indicted two former Inspectors-General of Police of corruption. One of the two former IGPs threatened The ICIR with a lawsuit and was rebuffed. We believe that the same person is now using the police, which should be interested in holding him to account on the basis of our reporting, to harass our reporter,” the ICIR said.
The media organisation, therefore, requested that a new letter be provided by the police addressing the concerns raised.
“As a law-abiding organisation that holds power to account, we are always willing to submit to accountability and would honour lawful invitations from law enforcement agencies but we have written to the police to provide details of the petition against The ICIR and its reporter and write a new invitation letter before we honour the invitation,” the statement concluded.
The latest development borders on the growing concerns of journalists’ intimidation and harassment by the police using the Cyber Crime Act.
The PUNCH reports that on May 1, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Daniel Ojukwu, was abducted by police officers in Lagos and detained by the NPF-NCCC for 10 days.
According to FIJ, the petition is in relation to its coverage of alleged financial mismanagement in the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.
Ojukwu regained his freedom after sustained media pressure and protests by colleagues, activists and concerned Nigerians.
Before Ojukwu’s abduction, a former editor of First News, Segun Olatunji, was also abducted in March and detained for two weeks by military officials before he was later released.
Source: Punch
