Hold onto your pens folks, this one’s wild! Azuka Ogujiuba, publisher of Media Room Hub and ex-ThisDay journalist, simply did her job, reporting on a court case about a land dispute. But apparently, that’s a crime now? Nigerian police arrested and harassed her, not once, but twice and kept dragging her into Abuja summonses, even though she lives and works in Lagos. Talk about a long arm of the law with zero reach.
Enter IPI Nigeria, the watchdog that won’t keep quiet. In a fury fueled statement, the International Press Institute slapped down the police for “intimidation, unlawful detention, and repeated summons” tactics riddled with “blatant harassment” designed to silence journalism. Their message? If you suspect a journalist of a crime;
Charge them, don’t torture them with paperwork and fear.
Press freedom is not a negotiable luxury, it’s the bedrock of democracy. And when you start weaponizing police summons instead of court proceedings, you’re effectively knocking democracy off its pedestal. IPI Nigeria is pulling no punches, reminding authorities that continued transgressions could land the police boss in their “Book of Infamy,” a public record reserved for serial violators of media rights.
Here’s the kicker, Nigeria ranks 112 out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index. Not exactly something to brag about. And yet, journalists keep risking it all, truth still matters.
Source: Daily Trust, QED.NG
