In our EDITORIAL OF THE WEEK, we condemn attacks and arrests of journalists which should not be allowed to continue to guarantee the safety of journalists who are on their official duty during the election.
Among the unsavoury incidents recorded during last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly Elections across the country were attacks and arrests of journalists.
Some of the victims include the Executive Director of the International Center for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Mr Dayo Aiyetan who was attacked and had some of his items stolen in Abuja by thugs while filming a disturbance at a polling centre.
Others are Gbenga Oloniniran of The Punch Newspaper who was arrested and assaulted by a team of policemen near the residence of Governor Nyesom Wike in Rivers State and a crew of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan attacked by some youths while monitoring the election.
In Ondo state, Radio Nigeria journalist, Isaac Afolabi was quizzed for hours by men of the Nigerian Army stationed at Iju Itaogbolu axis of Akure North Local Government.
Even before the election, there was also the report of the attack on Wish FM 99.5 and the Atlantic Television Network through sporadic gunshots and explosions by alleged gunmen in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State on the night of Tuesday, February 21st, 2023.
The above cases and others are condemnable and should not be allowed to continue to guarantee the safety of journalists who are on their official duty during the election.
Instances of attacks on journalists and unlawful arrests and detention should be investigated and the culprits arrested and penalised to serve as a deterrent to others who may still target journalists during subsequent elections.
The crucial role of journalists in sustaining democracy in the country through adequate reporting of the various stages of the election should be appreciated by all instead of attacking them or preventing them from performing their lawful duties.
As the International Press Centre (IPC) rightly noted while condemning the series of attacks on the media, the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage enjoins the Federal and state governments, law enforcement and security agents to provide the enabling environment for journalists and other media professionals to effectively perform their functions during elections.
More than ever before, we advise journalists and their employers to also take necessary security precautions against attacks and not make themselves easy targets of supporters of various political parties.
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