Amnesty International Nigeria has actually gotten in touch with Nigerian authorities to right away and unconditionally release investigative reporter Daniel Ojukwu, who was remanded in jail custody for 21 days by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday.
The organisation stated Ojukwu’s ongoing detention raised issues about the declared usage of judicial procedures to daunt reporters and weaken flexibility of expression and media liberty in the nation.
Amnesty International Nigeria made the call in a declaration released on its X platform on Wednesday.
Ojukwu, an investigative press reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), has actually dealt with legal procedures considering that December 2024 following his reports on supposed corruption and diversion of public funds including federal government authorities.
The organisation remembered that the reporter was abducted by officers of the Nigeria Police Force in May 2024 in connection with his journalistic work.
It revealed issue that his ongoing prosecution and detention might be part of a more comprehensive pattern of utilizing the criminal justice system to penalize reporters for reporting accusations of corruption and holding public authorities responsible.
Amnesty International alerted that his remand for another 21 days might deepen worry and intimidation amongst reporters and other media specialists.
It advised the authorities to make sure that any legal procedures versus Ojukwu abide by worldwide human rights requirements, especially the right to a reasonable trial and assurances of due procedure.
The organisation likewise contacted the federal government to end what it referred to as harassment, intimidation and targeting of investigative reporter Fisayo Soyombo.
It advised the authorities to regard Soyombo’s right to perform genuine journalistic activities, consisting of examining and exposing corruption, abuse of power and human rights infractions, without worry of reprisals.
Amnesty International preserved that no reporter ought to deal with dangers, intimidation or punitive procedures for holding public authorities liable.
It even more advised the federal government to ensure that reporters, consisting of Ojukwu and Soyombo, might work easily and individually without worry of approximate arrest, detention or prosecution.
The organisation stated efforts to silence investigative reporters through intimidation or the abuse of the criminal justice system presented a major risk to flexibility of expression and media flexibility in Nigeria.
It contacted the federal government to regard, secure and satisfy the rights to liberty of expression and press flexibility, consisting of the right of reporters and people to examine, report on and criticise public authorities and federal government policies without worry of reprisals.
Amnesty International likewise prompted the authorities to avoid utilizing criminal laws and judicial procedures to daunt, bother, penalize or silence reporters, activists, human rights protectors and other federal government critics.
It worried that journalism was not a criminal offense which exposing accusations of corruption must not be dealt with as an offense.
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