Kano govt. denies harassing journalists, rejects report on press freedom violation

The Kano State Government has rejected the outcome of a report by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) that categorized it among Nigeria’s states as a top violator of press freedom.

At a press briefing in Kano on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Information, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, described the WSCIJ’s “Shrinking Freedoms 2024” report as misleading and not reflective of realities in the state.

He said the publication was “a figment of imagination by armchair analysts masquerading as investigative journalists.”

Waiya maintained that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration remains committed to ethical journalism, transparency, and civic participation. He cited several recognitions from media organizations such as Blueprint, Leadership, and Nigerian NewsDirect for the governor’s openness and support for press freedom.

Read Also: Kano govt withdraws accreditation of 13 journalists

The commissioner added that the state is working to domesticate the Freedom of Information Act to enhance accountability and citizens’ access to information.

Waiya urged the Wole Soyinka Centre and similar groups to conduct proper field assessments before publishing reports, warning that “misleading publications” could undermine genuine efforts to promote free expression and civic engagement.

SolaceBase had earlier reported that the Wole Soyinka Centre’s Shrinking Freedoms 2024 report released on Tuesday had listed Kano, Lagos, and the Federal Capital Territory among the top states with the highest cases of media and civic rights violations in 2024.

The Centre said the 2024 assessment covered incidents between January and December, tracking infringements against journalists, activists, and human rights defenders nationwide.

Using Content Analysis (CA), Critical Incident Analysis (CIA), and case study interviews, WSCIJ reviewed 103 incidents reported 342 times across 102 news stories and one feature published or aired by 28 media organisations.

Read Also: CSOs condemn use of police to harass journalists by Kano Commissioner

The report also drew attention to the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests, which it described as “a defining moment in Nigeria’s civic resistance.”

According to testimonies gathered, several journalists and activists were harassed or detained for participating in or reporting the demonstrations.

Ultimately, the WSCIJ concluded that Nigeria’s civic space remains “deliberately constrained by coordinated actions of both state and non-state actors.”

It warned that unless urgent steps are taken, “the fundamental rights to report, protest, and participate in civic life will remain at serious risk.”

Meanwhile, it is on record that since Governor Yusuf took office in 2023, at least five journalists have been detained by police, and two others dragged to court by the governor’s aides.

Recalls that the same Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, dragged two journalists to police over an alleged defamatory report, which he subsequently withdrew after several backlashes, including condemnations by international rights groups, such as Amnesty International and Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Similarly, it is on record that the state government in 2024 withdrew accreditation of 14 journalists covering the Government House, which includes reporters of NTA, FRCN, AIT, Freedom Radio and, recently, a petition to the police against a journalist Ibrahim Ishaq Dan’uwa Rano over alleged defamation by the Director General, Protocol to Kano State Governor, Abdulahi Rogo

While most of the cases were later dropped, the incidents have raised questions about the state’s tolerance for critical journalism.