•Demand Urgent Reform to Safeguard Press Freedom
A wave of outrage is sweeping through Nigeria’s civic and media communities as two powerful voices, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), have called for the immediate suspension and urgent overhaul of the Cybercrimes Act.
Their demand follows what they describe as a troubling escalation in attacks on press freedom and free speech across the country.
Speaking at a packed joint press conference in Lagos, representatives of the two organisations accused Nigerian authorities of turning laws meant to regulate the digital space into instruments of fear, censorship, and repression.
Kolawole Oluwadare, Deputy Director of SERAP, delivered a sharp critique of the misuse of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, especially Section 24, which he described as a "blunt instrument used to silence critics and criminalise legitimate expression.”
“We are deeply concerned about the escalating crackdown on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom.
“Authorities continue to use Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act, even after its 2024 amendment, to target Nigerians for simply exercising their constitutional rights,” Oluwadare said.
He outlined an alarming pattern of extrajudicial arrests, malicious prosecutions, and enforced disappearances, saying these are now regularly used against journalists, bloggers, activists, and even ordinary citizens who post opinions in private social media spaces.
“People have been arrested and charged simply for messages posted in school alumni WhatsApp groups. This isn't just repression, it’s absurd and dangerous,” he stated.
Oluwadare lamented that the amended law still does not comply with the 2022 ruling by the ECOWAS Court of Justice, which declared the original Section 24 as arbitrary, vague, and in violation of international human rights obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“The revised law continues to use ambiguous terms like 'cyberstalking', making it dangerously open to interpretation.
“You could be prosecuted just because someone claims to feel ‘fear’ from a message you sent. This isn’t justice; it’s institutionalised censorship,” he said.
Backing SERAP’s position, Dr Iyobosa Uwugiaren, General Secretary of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, called for a full suspension of the implementation of the law until it is reviewed and brought in line with Nigeria’s constitution and international human rights obligations.
“We are urging President Tinubu to ensure that no journalist, blogger, or activist is arrested, detained, or harassed for doing their job.
“This government must demonstrate a clear and unambiguous commitment to the rule of law and press freedom,” he said.
Uwugiaren revealed that the Guild had set up a special committee of senior editors and media executives to identify all existing laws that hinder the work of journalists and propose reforms to the National Assembly.
“This is about safeguarding our democracy. An attack on the media is an attack on the people’s right to know,” he said.
The press conference comes against the backdrop of a disturbing rise in attacks against the media in Nigeria.
According to the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), there have been at least 110 verified cases of harassment, assault, and intimidation of media professionals in 2024 alone, eclipsing even the dark period of the 2013 crackdown.
The documented incidents range from the prolonged detention of reporters from the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), to physical attacks on journalists covering peaceful protests in Lagos and Abuja.
In some cases, media houses in the northern states have been forcibly shut down under vague accusations of “incitement.”
In one particularly alarming episode, police officers in Lagos were reported to have fired tear gas at camera crews covering a public protest, injuring several journalists and damaging their equipment.
In another, machete-wielding assailants, described only as “unidentified attackers,” targeted a Channels TV-branded vehicle carrying reporters.
“It’s always ‘unidentified attackers’,” Oluwadare said.
“But the chilling message is clear: critical journalism is under siege,” he added.
Oluwadare further warned about the increasingly sophisticated methods of repression, including the reported use of commercial spyware to monitor journalists and activists.
“You may not even know you’re being watched until private phone conversations start appearing in public.
“Some of these recordings weren’t made by either party, which raises serious legal and ethical questions,” he noted.
Beyond domestic advocacy, both SERAP and the NGE called on the international community to hold Nigeria accountable for its obligations under human rights treaties.
Their recommendations include: enforcing ECOWAS court decisions, releasing all individuals jailed for exercising free speech, investigating harassment of journalists, and respecting international agreements such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Also speaking at the event was Martin Onoja, former Managing Director of The Guardian newspaper, who painted a grim picture of the risks faced by journalists pursuing data-driven, investigative reporting in Nigeria.
“Our journalism is factual, data-driven, and public-spirited, yet it is constantly under threat,” Onoja said.
“We’ve had to intervene in conflict zones simply for reporting the truth. In today’s Nigeria, good journalism can make you a target,” the former MD added.
He also criticised the government’s budgetary decisions, arguing that while billions are spent on infrastructure and medical tourism, sectors crucial to the health of democracy, like media and education, are starved of resources or actively undermined.
“It’s a betrayal of the institutions that hold our democracy together,” he concluded.
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