The International Press Centre’s Centre for Safety and Protection of Journalists has strongly condemned the attack on journalists who were covering the Kano State governorship election petitions tribunal.
During this incident, two journalists, namely Salim Ibrahim from Daily Trust and Zahraddeen Lawal from BBC Hausa, were harassed by members of the Nigeria Police Force while they were on duty, resulting in damage to their working equipment.
Melody Akinjiyan, the Press Freedom Officer at I-CSPJ, expressed the organization’s concern in a statement released on Wednesday. The statement also quoted Mr. Lanre Arogundade, the Executive Director of IPC, who emphasized that such unwarranted attacks on journalists, while they are performing their legitimate duties, pose a significant threat to the nation’s democracy and a grave violation of press freedom.
According to reports, the police, who were stationed at the court premises, instructed the journalists to move 10 meters away. In the process, some police officers confronted them, accusing them of taking photographs.
“The IPC’s Centre for Safety and Protection of Journalists (I-CSPJ), is extremely dismayed by the reported police attack on some journalists who were in the court to cover the sitting of the Kano governorship election petition tribunal, today Wednesday, September 20, 2023.
“While some went after a BBC reporter, trying to seize his phone, others held Salim Ibrahim of Daily Trust and forcefully collected his phone, damaging the screen.
“The unwarranted attacks on journalists on legitimate duty is dangerous to our democracy and a major threat to press freedom. Such an act violates the fundamental human rights of journalists.
“We urge the men of the Nigerian Police Force to be mindful of actions they take against journalists and not continually create an environment where journalists would be afraid to work and discharge their duties effectively and efficiently.”
“I-CSPJ, therefore, calls on the Kano State Commissioner of Police to take adequate and swift measures to bring to book those who assaulted the journalists while putting in place machinery to compensate the affected journalists for this inhumane treatment.
“We also call on the Nigeria Police Force to step up the training of its officers to be more respectful and courteous in relating with journalists and other media professionals. They should be reminded constantly that the primary responsibility of the Police is the protection of citizens including journalists,” the statement said.
