A civil society organisation in Niger Delta, Policy Alert said it has petitioned the international human rights community over what it termed as ‘gestapo’ tactics against journalists in Akwa Ibom State.
The Executive Director of the organisation, Tijah-Bolton Akpan stated this in a statement signed by the media contact person of the organisation, Nneka Luke-Ndumere and made available to DAILY POST in Uyo on Sunday.
Akpan explained that the organisation petitioned the rights community following the latest arrest of a newspaper distributor in the State, Mr Chidi Ngadiuba by police operatives in lieu of the publisher of the mail newspaper, Nfreke Nseowo, who was said to have allegedly written a report offensive to the State government.
He, however, urged the police to formally invite Nseowo for questioning if the State government finds his reports offensive, warning that the State government and security agencies should desist from hounding journalists in the State.
According to the statement, “We have observed a rising spate in incidents that constrain media freedom and civic space and must restate that the freedom and fundamental rights of citizens, including the media and human rights defenders, are not subject to the whims and caprices of security operatives or the government. If anyone is offended by reports in The Mail Newspaper, the police should invite Nseowo formally.
“There are civilized approaches to seeking redress rather than using security operatives to hound journalists and newspaper distributors.
“The media has a responsibility to hold the government accountable to the people and we will not sit back and watch any attempt to intimidate journalists and use scare tactics to stop them from performing their constitutional roles. We want to put the Akwa Ibom State Government and the Nigeria Police on notice that the international human rights community has been alerted to this disturbing trend.”
Akwa Ibom: Rights group petitions international community over harassment of journalists
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