The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has called for an immediate investigation and redress over what it described sustained pattern of attacks against journalists in Nigeria.
In a statement signed by Motunrayo Alaka, its executive director, the organisation expressed deep concern over a recurring cycle of assault, brutality, harassment, and obstruction targeting media professionals.
The centre cited the recent assault on Mohammed Adamu of Albarka Radio, who was reportedly attacked by police officers while covering Eid celebrations in Bauchi state.
The WSCIJ said the incident reflects a growing list of violations against journalists carrying out their duties.
The organisation referenced earlier reports that Musa Mikail, a senior reporter with the Nigerian Television Authority, was assaulted while covering a public religious event at the palace of the Etsu Nupe in Bida, Niger state.
WSCIJ also cited reports by Punch Newspaper and Premium Times indicating that journalists and other attendees were teargassed by security operatives during the All Progressives Congress (APC) national convention in Abuja last week, disrupting media coverage.
According to the organisation, these incidents “collectively point to a troubling pattern of journalists being exposed to violence and intimidation in spaces where public accountability should be protected”.
WSCIJ referenced findings from its 2024 Journalism and Civic Space Guard report titled Shrinking Freedoms, which documented 103 incidents affecting journalists, 81 of which involved state actors.
The organisation said this trend has remained consistent, particularly during public events, political activities, and civic engagements.
The centre also cited the 2024 Openness Index by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), which gave Nigeria an average score of 50.51 percent, classifying it as an “average enabler” of press freedom.
The report identified security forces as a major constraint, recording at least 48 violations against journalists within a year.
The organisation said the situation reflects a widening gap between official commitments to press freedom and the lived realities of journalists, despite earlier assurances by the government to protect media rights.
“This reality is further reflected in related findings, including Media Rights Agenda’s 2025 report, ‘The Reign of Impunity’, which documented 86 attacks and violations against journalists and citizens, with state security actors repeatedly implicated in incidents of abuse and obstruction,” the statement reads.
“This concern is consistent with WSCIJ’s earlier position at the beginning of the current administration, when the Centre publicly raised questions about the protection of press freedom and called for clear safeguards for journalists.
“It also comes against the backdrop of recent public assurances by the President reaffirming commitment to the rights and safety of the press. However, the persistence of attacks on journalists continues to raise urgent questions about the gap between commitments and lived realities.
