STOP ARRESTING ONLINE JOURNALISTS & EDITORS, ANEEJ ADMONISHES FG
STOP ARRESTING ONLINE JOURNALISTS & EDITORS, ANEEJ ADMONISHES FG
Abuja Nigeria…The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, has strongly condemned the wanton arrests of online bloggers and journalists and has called on aggrieved public servants and politicians to explore responsible avenues to seek redress for infractions on their persons or roles.
In making the case for politicians and public servants to desist from arrest of journalists and explore relevant institutions to resolve issues with the media, ANEEJ executive director, the Rev David Ugolor noted that since the inception of the Buhari administration, there has been a spate of arrests of bloggers and online journalists, recently with the harassment and arrest of the Publisher of Premium Times.
‘ANEEJ believes that Nigeria had made a lot of progress in subscribing to many international alliances which project Nigeria as a country seeking to be open and transparent with the conduct of government business. Therefore, the incessant arrests of online journalists and bloggers by aggrieved politicians and public servants is a threat to democracy, convey a signal of intolerance and sets Nigeria’s image at home and abroad back. It reduces the confidence of the international community in Nigeria, introduces an attitude of dictatorship and shrinks the space for civil participation and dialogue’, the Rev Ugolor said.
The Rev Ugolor said that the efforts of the Nigerian military in the North East has been praiseworthy but it must not be used to devalue the constitutionally held role of journalists to hold government accountable to the people of Nigeria. The Rev Ugolor encouraged public servants and politicians who are aggrieved with the reportage of the efforts of the military expeditions in the North East by online journalists to use the courts to seek redress instead of wanton arrests.
‘Bloggers and online journalists form a vast network of media professionals who contribute to nation building. We are witnesses of the role which the Nigeria media plays as the fourth estate. Incessant arrests of online journalist weaken our democracy by foreclosing the need for debate and dialogue’, Ugolor reiterated.
Kindly view the video version of this press release here: