By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has accused officials of President Bola Tinubu’s administration of orchestrating a disturbing pattern of attacks, intimidation, and harassment against journalists and media professionals across Nigeria.
In a new report released on Monday titled “When Protectors Become Predators: The State Against Freedom of Expression in Nigeria,” the MRA documented widespread violations allegedly carried out by security, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies—institutions meant to safeguard, not suppress, press freedom.
According to the report, the attacks have severely eroded public trust in government institutions and exposed a deepening culture of impunity. The 129-page document was released to mark the International Day to End Impunity (IDEI) for Crimes Against Journalists.
MRA’s Deputy Executive Director, Ayode Longe, said the findings reveal that government officials were responsible for nearly 74 percent of all recorded attacks on journalists and freedom of expression between January 1 and October 31, 2025. The Nigeria Police Force was identified as the worst offender, allegedly accounting for 45 percent of all recorded violations.
“The report shows that journalists in Nigeria are increasingly under siege, not just from criminals and insurgents, but principally from the very state institutions charged with protecting them,” Longe stated.
He condemned the government’s failure to uphold its constitutional duty to protect media practitioners, describing the trend as “a direct assault on democracy and the rule of law.”
Other perpetrators named in the report include the Department of State Services (DSS), various branches of the military, paramilitary agencies, and political office holders at both federal and state levels.
MRA documented at least 69 incidents of abuse during the reporting period, including arbitrary arrests and detention, physical assaults, threats to life, abductions, office invasions, and judicial harassment of journalists performing their legitimate duties.
The organization noted that impunity for attacks on journalists continues to embolden perpetrators, as few cases are investigated or prosecuted. This, it said, has fostered an environment of fear and self-censorship, weakening democratic accountability and public access to information.
MRA called on the Federal Government to establish accountability mechanisms for officials involved in such abuses and to reform and retrain security and law enforcement agencies to respect human rights and media freedom.
The group also urged the government to create a national multi-stakeholder protection mechanism for journalists and end the misuse of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and other restrictive laws against the media.
Additionally, MRA appealed to the National Assembly to enact legislation that criminalizes attacks on journalists and to the National Judicial Council (NJC) to monitor and prevent the misuse of judicial processes to harass members of the press.
“Ensuring the safety of journalists is not optional—it is a legal and moral obligation under the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights treaties,” the statement emphasized.
The full report is titled “Media Rights Agenda Issues Report Highlighting Rampant Attacks on Journalists by Government Officials.”
