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Stop Harassment, Intimidation of Journalists, Amnesty International Tells Buhari Regime

The escalating clampdown on the rights to freedom of expression and media freedom is mostly perpetrated by the Nigeria Police Force, the military and officials of the Department of State Services.

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Amnesty International has called on the Nigerian Government to end the climate of fear and repression of journalists and media organisations across the country.

Country Director of the organisation, Osai Ojigbo, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during a public presentation of a report titled “Endangered Voices”.

Ojigbo said, “At least 19 journalists were detained at various times this year. 

“Increasingly, the human rights cost of receiving and sharing information for journalists, bloggers and activists to operate in a climate of fear.

“This is totally unacceptable. The authorities must immediately put an end to this hostility towards human rights.”

She noted that Amnesty International has examined the cases of journalists, who were detained, threatened or intimidated over the past five years. 

Ojigbo further explained that the investigation had revealed a disturbing escalation in the authorities' threat and attacks against Nigerian journalists, who had expressed critical opinions of the government on both conventional and social media.

She added, “The escalating clampdown on the rights to freedom of expression and media freedom is mostly perpetrated by the Nigeria Police Force, the military and officials of the Department of State Services.”