A powerful coalition of civil rights organizations, spearheaded by Citizens’ Gavel, has taken a bold step in defending press freedom by suing the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi.
Their lawsuit challenges what they describe as a disturbing rise in the arbitrary arrest and harassment of journalists across Nigeria.
This legal battle, launched in partnership with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), the Human Rights Journalists Network (HRJN), and other advocacy groups, aims to curb what they see as a systemic abuse of law enforcement powers to silence investigative journalism and critical reporting.
According to Sylvester Agih, a Senior Legal Analyst at Citizens’ Gavel, this move became inevitable after President Bola Tinubu failed to take decisive action against the escalating violations of press freedom.
The coalition insists that the government’s inaction has emboldened powerful figures and state actors to continue suppressing journalists with impunity.
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A statement from the coalition reads: “In recent years, journalists across Nigeria have faced arbitrary arrests, unlawful detentions, and harassment simply for carrying out their constitutional duty to inform the public.
“These acts not only violate Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression and the press but also contravene international human rights obligations Nigeria has committed to under treaties such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“The press must remain free if democracy is to thrive. We will not relent in our fight for justice and press freedom in Nigeria.”
With this legal action, the coalition signals a relentless pursuit of justice, standing as a formidable force against attempts to muzzle the media.