By Eric Ojo
Piqued by the shrinking civic space and safety concerns, a coalition of media and civil society organisations (CSOs), have condemned the spate of attacks on journalists in Nigeria.
The coalition which includes Media Rights Agenda (MRA), International Press Centre (IPC), and the Centre for Media and Society said it is disheartening that journalists have become one of the most endangered species in Nigeria despite their indispensable roles to the society.
The concern was raised, once again at a hybrid media dialogue which was jointly organized in Lagos, to commemorate this year’s World Press Freedom Day, noted that the attacks on journalists which have become frequent must have to stop forthwith in the country.
The group therefore urged the federal and state governments as well as the security agencies in the country to give priority to the safety of journalists rather than attacking them in the course of caring out their constitutional watchdog roles.
They also emphasised the need for collaboration and synergy especially among newsmen and their media houses to address the challenge.
In addition, the group equally called for legal reform, increased enlightenment on why journalists deserve protection and respect and also increased support from other CSOs, adding that the Lagos Plan of Action as the recommendations during the conversation to guarantee press freedom in Nigeria would be out soon.
The event with a theme, “The Imperative of Media Freedom for Democratic Governance,” was attended by many journalists from across print, broadcast and online platforms in the country in attendance.
Some of the participants shared their experience on the different types of harassment, intimidation and attacks they have faced on the job.
Speaking separately at the event, the Executive Director of MRA, Mr. Edetaen Ojo disclosed that no fewer than 45 cases of attacks on journalists were recorded by his organisation within the last one year.
Mr. Ojo said 62 percent of the attacks were carried out by the law enforcement and security agencies including the police, Department of State Services (DSS) and soldiers while the political thugs and hoodlums accounted for about 16 per cent and the rest by the unidentified armed persons including kidnappers and bandits.
He added that male journalists were more affected than their female colleagues and also those in broadcast media fell victims than their colleagues in print and online media.
He further explained that most perpetrators even go unpunished, adding that the situation has inadvertently encouraged more attacks on journalists.
“Journalists either with government or private owned organisations anywhere in the country deserve to be protected most especially by the government and its security agencies”, he stressed.
The roles of journalists, according to him, are not only vital to the progress of democracy and good governance in any polity and Nigeria cannot be exempted.
Mr. Ojo observed that it would be difficult for meaningful progress to take place in Nigeria if the press is continued to be caged, urging government and security agencies as well as other stakeholders to ensure that media practitioners are protected and also respected.
Similarly, the Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade also gave the number of cases of attacks on journalists that were captured by his organization within the last four months, noting that 33 a total of 44 journalists (comprising 35 males and nine females) as well as six media organisations involved across the six geo-political zones of the country.
Mr. Arogundade, who is also a former NUJ chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Lagos State, pointed out that South West zone and Lagos State in partcular accounted for the highest number of cases and this followed by the South-South zone and the rest followed with no zone without any record during the period in review.
He said most of the perpetrators of attacks were government security agents especially the police and then the hoodlums and political thugs while broadcast journalists were attacked most and followed by online media journalists.
He further noted that government would need to take concrete action and guarantee press freedom particularly for the sake of country’s development and good governance.
On his part, the Executive Director of Centre for Media and Society, Mr. Akin Akingbulu stated that attacks on journalists in Nigeria in the last one year happened every other month but higher in the months of February and March last year during national elections.
M. Akingbulu stressed that these attacks took different forms ranging from beating, assault, arrest, detention, home invassion, dissmissal to attempted assassination, among others.
He said journalists do not deserve such treatment as there are legal ways to fight them or their organisations if their reports are falsehood.
While delivering her paper entitled, “On the Possible Psychosocial Effects of Attacks on Journalists and their Management,” a consultant clinical psychologist from the University of Lagos, Akoka, Dr Uzo Isreal said journalists, who are victims of attacks in the line of their duties would certainly be traumatized.
Dr. Israel said the trauma which may be in various forms and oftentimes live with sufferers for lifetime can also lead to self-withdrawal, low esteem, poor performance, fear of intimidation and so forth.
The ripple effects of all these, according to her, go far beyond the victims of attacks. It will affect families, the diplomatic relations with other countries, the society and the country at large.
“So, it is better to prevent attack on journalists and if attack happens, victims can go through comprehensive therapy and manage their trauma and reduce the effects to the barest minimum,” the don stressed.