IDECAJ 2022: Investigate, prosecute crimes against journalists – Pate urges govts

A mass communication scholar, Prof. Umaru A. Pate has urged governments at all levels to fulfil their responsibility to ensure that crimes against media professionals are investigated and prosecuted.

Pate who is also the Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Kashere, Gombe, stated this in a presentation at the 2022 Celebration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, (IDECAJ) organised by the Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation at Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday.

SOLACEBASE reports that the presentation was titled ‘’Threat to press freedom and safety of journalists in an election year in Nigeria.’’

The university don said elections in Nigeria are highly competitive, characterised by tension, anxiety and, in worst cases, breaches and violence.

”The tension and violence in the country impact on media freedom and safety of journalists in many forms of personal and organisational risks: legal, financial, psychological, verbal and physical risks such as kidnapping, arrest,  censorship, threats, fear, intimidation, harassment, impunity, attacks on media houses, assault, arson, assassination, raids and the confiscation of gadgets and publications, Pate said.”

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He explained that in 2019 alone, 74 attacks on journalists were recorded in Nigeria and in January, 2019, shortly before the polls, three journalists suffered life-threatening injuries from gunfire while covering a political rally in one of the states.

‘’Political thugs attempted to lynch some journalists during the 2019 re-run gubernatorial election in one of the states, fortunately, they escaped.‘’

‘’Journalists suffered digital insecurity, economic and psychological threats; internet freedom was attacked.‘’

He noted that 21 websites were blocked, including independent online news outlets amid intimidation and violence against journalists and bloggers for their online activities.

Quoting a 2019 report of Committee to Protect Journalists, Pate said Journalists covering gubernatorial and state assembly elections were detained, harassed, and assaulted by security agents across many states.

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‘’The perpetrators also forced journalists to delete visual evidence of election malpractices‘’

‘’None of the perpetrators/attackers was ever prosecuted or punished and they are still around.‘’

‘’Possible threats for 2023 elections are from state and non-state actors and ownership interference may force self-censorship for personal safety which will weaken investigative and data driven journalism as over 30 cases of attacks on journalists have so far been recorded in 2022,‘’ Pate explained .

He said without well-informed, professional journalism that is well-protected, independent reporting  and  corruption or malpractices in elections cannot be exposed.

Pate advocated promotion of values that respect the media’s vital role in promoting sustainable peace, democracy and credible elections in the country: emphasise the relationship between securing the safety of journalists and our own freedoms

‘’Address welfare issues as poor welfare is a threat to press freedom and media quality, failure encourages self-censorship and internal corruption‘’

‘’The media community should have the courage to overcome the strangulation of independent sources of information and financial pressures on editorial quality and critical news content.‘’