We’re Taking The War Against Attack On Journalists Higher – IPC

The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos-Nigeria, has said that it has resolved to a step further by instituting a Foundation For the Safety of Journalists, as part of efforts to check attacks on journalists and enhanced Press freedom in the country.

Executive Director of the Centre, Lanre Arogundade, who announced this in Abuja at a Stakeholders Workshop on Press Freedom, said that the initiative will encompass improvement of the documentation of attacks on journalists and the media, continuous capacity building for journalists on safety in investigative reporting and coverage of dangerous assignments, psycho-social support for attacked or assaulted journalists, campaign and advocacy for enabling environment that promotes safety of journalists and press freedom, offering of coordination mechanisms on the safety of journalists, among others.

This is as the IPC decried the practice whereby journalists in Nigeria continue to be endangered species with many threats hanging over their heads like the sword of Damocles.

Arogundade noted that at a time Nigerians are discussing the question of Information as public good, it is worrisome that state institutions in Nigeria have simply not come to terms with the fact that journalists are frontline workers in crisis situations.

He said that the implication of this is that many journalists and media outlets were attacked while covering COVID-19 pandemic and the #EndSARS protests.

Arogundade also said that it is well known that journalists get assaulted in the course of electoral duty even when properly accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) while operatives of environmental and other tasks forces by state governments are known to be notoriously hostile to the coverage of their activities especially when brutalising citizens.

The IPC director further said that in the broader press freedom context, a regulatory agency like the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), is also posing threats to the broadcast media through arbitrary imposition of fines and issuance of threats of closure as it continues to constitute itself to the accuser, the prosecutor and the judge in its own case.

He also said; “The use of laws like Cyber Crime Act and the Anti-terrorism Act to target journalists as was the case with Jones Abiri and Agba Jalingo and is still the case with Omowole Sowore, founder and publisher of Sahara Reporters means that journalists and other media professionals also face legal threats to their freedom”.

Arogundade demanded that all legal obstacles holding back the speedy trial of Omoyele Sowore be removed so that he can get justice saying that indeed, he should be set free.

He also said that the attempts to extend the dangerous anti-press freedom legal frontier include the intention by the National Assembly to pass the Social media bill and the Hate Speech Commission bill, both of which if passed, would violate media freedom including digital and Internet rights of journalists.

According to him; “So also is the proposed amendments in the Electoral Act bill before the National Assembly especially in Section 100 (6 (a) proposing that the fine for media houses be increased to N2millon in the first instance and N5million  upon  subsequent  conviction and Section 100  (6)  (b)  proposing that: “Principal officers and other officers of the media house to be liable to a fine of N2 million or to imprisonment for a term of 12 months”, for violation of provisions of the Act on media role in elections.

“In the current Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) the penalties for contravention of the provision in Section 100 (3) and100 (4) as stipulated in Section 100(6) is: A maximum fine of N 500, 000 in the first instance, and a maximum fine of N1million for subsequent conviction.

“What we need to stress is the imperative of ensuring greater partnership, collaboration, networking and solidarity in seeking justice for journalists who are attacked in the line of duty and putting in place mechanisms for halting the unwelcome trend,” he said.