Some journalists in the country have warned the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration against intimidating media practitioners and undermining investigative journalism, following the remand of Daniel Ojukwu, a correspondent with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), over reports concerning the management of public funds.
Ojukwu was remanded after being arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on 12 counts bordering on cyberstalking and criminal defamation over his investigations into the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, headed by Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Reacting to the development, the executive director of the Grassroots Centre for Rights and Civic Orientation (GRACO), Armsfree Ajanaku, who is also a journalist, described Ojukwu’s incarceration as another indication of the difficult environment in which journalists operate in Nigeria.
Ajanaku said the development reflected the shrinking civic space, where journalists investigating issues of public interest risk being targeted, while allegations of wrongdoing involving public resources require greater scrutiny.
He questioned the circumstances surrounding the journalist’s prosecution, arguing that those who expose alleged corruption should not be treated as offenders while the allegations they raise remain subjects of public concern.
“If we are in a normal society, who should be in the dock? A journalist who exposed corruption and misappropriation of funds or the public official who was alleged to have used public funds in a questionable manner?
“In this case, we believe the law is being weaponised against Mr Ojukwu, which is why we join others in the clamour for his immediate and unconditional release,” he said.
Similarly, a journalist with Vanguard Newspaper, Gift Chapi, described Ojukwu’s ordeal as a worrying development for journalism and democracy in Nigeria.
Chapi said the case sent a dangerous signal that investigative journalists could face criminal prosecution for asking questions about the management of public funds and demanding accountability from public officials.
She maintained that the responsibility of journalists went beyond reporting activities of government officials, stressing that investigating issues of public interest and holding public office holders accountable remained fundamental duties of the profession.
“As journalists, our responsibility is not to praise those in government or report only what is convenient for people in authority. Our duty is to inform the public, investigate matters of public interest and hold those entrusted with public resources accountable.
“If a public official feels misrepresented or defamed by a publication, there are legitimate ways to seek redress. But criminalising journalism or using the machinery of the state in ways that could intimidate reporters is dangerous to democratic accountability,” she said.
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Chapi cautioned the Tinubu administration against creating an atmosphere in which journalists would resort to self-censorship out of fear of arrest, detention or prosecution.
She argued that intimidation of journalists would ultimately hurt Nigerians by restricting access to information and weakening the media’s watchdog role.
“When journalists are intimidated into silence, it is ultimately the Nigerian people who suffer because their right to information is compromised.
“Government must recognise that criticism and scrutiny are part of democracy. You cannot demand accountability from public institutions while making those who ask difficult questions feel threatened,” she added.
The Vanguard journalist further called for a fair and transparent judicial process in Ojukwu’s case, urging the government to demonstrate its commitment to media independence and freedom of expression.
Also speaking, a correspondent with “The Sun Newspaper, “Obi Okwe, condemned what he described as dictatorial tendencies in the handling of journalists, insisting that the media must not be prevented from performing its constitutional responsibilities.
He urged the government to allow journalists to discharge their duties within the bounds of professionalism, while calling on relevant authorities to defend the independence of the media.
“The dictatorial tendencies of the government in power should stop. The media cannot be stifled. Most of the perpetrators are beneficiaries of the media.
“Journalists should be allowed to discharge their duties within the bounds of professionalism without being hounded.
“Also, the Ombudsman must rise to the occasion to defend the media. The Minister of Information should intervene also because an injury to one is an injury to all,” he said.
The journalists maintained that the must be allowed to investigate issues of public interest and hold public officials accountable without fear of intimidation, warning that any attempt to silence critical reporting could undermine democratic accountability in the country.
