Press Freedom: Reps warn police, security agencies over attacks on journalists
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The House of Representatives has called for an end to attacks against journalists by security agencies. They also decided to probe recent journalist detentions and pressuring the government to uphold press freedom.
This resolution came after a motion by Clement Jimbo, a lawmaker from Akwa-Ibom, who criticized the use of the Cybercrime Act by police to target journalists. Jimbo pointed out that despite amendments to the Cybercrime Act, police continue to use it to harass journalists, and such attacks have increased under the current administration.
“There has been a concerning rise in the number of journalists being unlawfully arrested, detained, and harassed for performing their duties, using the offence of Cyber-Stalking within the Cybercrimes Act, 2015. Earlier this year, the President signed the Amended Act, which revised Section 24 to clarify what constitutes cyber-stalking and its penalties. However, law enforcement agents have ignored this and continued their crackdown on free speech,” Jimbo stated.
In reactions to the submission, the House decided to pass laws to strengthen press freedom protections, investigate recent detentions of journalists, and pressure the government to respect press freedom.
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