Presidential Election in Nigeria Held as Attacks on Media Increase - Watchdog Group (NEWS BRIEF)

Campaign posters in Abuja. Credit: HUMNEWS(HN. April 18, 2011) - As Presidential elections were held this weekend in Africa's most populous nation, the US-based watchdog group, Reporters Without Borders, voiced concern about a crackdown on journalists in Nigeria.

The group has recorded more than 30 attacks on media freedom so far this year, despite reforms and the promises of incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure the free flow of news during the campaign for the delayed 9 April parliamentary elections and this past weekend’s presidential election.

Nigeria has one of the poorest media freedom ratings in Africa and is 145th out of 178 countries in the 2010 Reporters Without Borders worldwide Press Freedom Index. It is a dangerous place for journalists to work.

The country does have a diverse media and a flourishing Internet scene - in fact it is one of the few African countries without laws governing the Internet -  however and the senate passed a law last month giving public access to official information as long as it does not affect national security. But threats, intimidation, physical attacks and unlawful arrests of journalists have remained at an alarming level since the beginning of this year.

For the most part, foreign journalists working in Nigeria are spared from intimidation but still are at risk, especially if they are critical of powerful state governors. Last year, a Lagos-based correspondent for the BBC World Service, Fidelis Mbah, said his wife and son received a letter threatening to kill them.

The country’s State Security Service (SSS), which was on the Reporters Without Borders worldwide list of predators of press freedom for several years until being taken off it in 2010, is still a repressive body, which targets and arrests journalists.

One recent example was the case of US-Nigerian journalist Okey Ndibe, who was arrested and interrogated at Lagos airport on 8 January this year and his passports seized for two days.

Political parties and state governors also threaten and harass the media, according to Reporters Without Borders. Journalists who criticise the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are sometimes prevented from reporting on political activities.

Ehigimetor Igbaugba, of The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), was unable to cover the senate primary elections in Auchi (in the southern state of Edo) on 8 January after being detained by PDP officials who criticised articles he had written about the party.

Intimidation of accredited journalists sharply increased when polling stations opened on 9 April for the parliamentary elections. African Independent Television cameraman Tamunoemi Kingdom and another crew member were beaten in Ozoro (Delta state) by PDP officials who objected to the filming of them harassing a man entering a polling station. The camera and the windscreen of the journalists’ vehicle was damaged. Aisha Wakaso, of This Day newspaper, and Afeyinwa Okonkwo, correspondent of NAN in Enugu state, were hounded by police who prevented them reporting on the voting.

Analysts say that Nigerian journalists are east targets by polticians, as they are poorly-paid and receive little training and support. Said one Lagos-based foreign correspondent in a 2010 blog posting: "Many senior journalists have now adopted a loose lifestyle of selling their influence to government officials and businessmen in exchange for cash and gifts without the slightest concern for any conflict of interest."

Reporters Without Borders has fought for press freedom on a daily basis since it was founded in 1985. 

- Reporters Without Borders, HUMNEWS staff