CRAN Sends SoS to Tinubu, Others On Harassment Of Journalists by Government Agencies

By Usman Bello

The Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria ( CRAN)has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to look into the

plight of Journalists who are being threatened and harassed daily by government security agencies.

The Association also reminded the government that attacks on journalists have a destructive effect on the dissemination of information and healthy debate in a democratic space. CRAN expressed concern over the way journalists are increasingly subjected to all forms of threats, including kidnapping, torture, physical attacks and other forms of harassment.

President of CRAN, Mr. Lekan Olabulo , who spoke during an interview with journalists during the quarterly CRAN meeting at Mike Okiro Press Centre, Oduduwa Street, Ikeja , Lagos at the weekend, accused the government of using the operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) to intimidate journalists and called on the management of both agencies to caution their officers and men from harassing journalists.

“The harassing of journalists is becoming one too many, forcing many people in the profession to go underground. The worst is that our colleagues ,who are under threat have been fleeing the country for fear of being killed. A female Journalist, Philomina Ngozi Christopher -Oji , the publisher of Cornerstonenewsng.com, recently fled the country when the threat to her life became unbearable to her for doing stories against the government and its agencies. She abandoned her family; husband and children

“Also, the police have stepped up manhunt and renewed their search on the whereabouts of one of the country’s most influential journalists, Ephraim Nwosu. Nwosu has been hunted by the police since two years.
“Just last weekend , the police stormed his family house to look for him. The officers who didn’t come with a search warrant, were threatening and boasting that they would leave no stone unturned in the bid to bring the former Editor-in-chief and publisher of The Nigerian NewsLetter to book, while reinstating that anyone, who volunteers credible information that could lead to his apprehension would be handsomely rewarded by the federal government.

“Nwosu’s investigative reports unveiled a spectrum of high-level scandals, notably the Nigerian Air scam-alleged fraudulent enterprise masquerading as a national project and a clandestine military operation intended to invade neighbouring Niger, which, if executed, could have precipitated severe instability between the two nations.

Nwosu also published an investigative report which exposed alleged corruption practices in the Nigeria Customs Service and human rights abuses.

These revelational pieces among others, however, placed the controversial journalist squarely in the crosshairs of the Nigerian authorities.

His consistent exposure to top-tier corruption and fraud as well as profound governmental misconduct earned him the status of a person of interest, compelling him to make the difficult decision to flee Nigeria after receiving multiple death threats over his investigative publications.

Nwosu, charged with treasonable felony among other offenses has been harassed, arrested, detained and abducted on several occasions by unidentified men dating back to 2021.His whereabouts remain unknown up to this day.

The new development has raised concerns among press freedom advocates who fear that the government’s actions may be an attempt to silence critical voices and suppress investigative journalism in the Nigeria.”

CRAN appealed to the presidency to look into the plight of journalists to finding solutions to the continued embarrassing situation: ” Many of us have been killed in mysterious circumstances. Those who were murdered for using their journalism to exposing the truth are too many to mention.

That is why our good hands in the profession are fleeing the country because the police can’t guarantee any ones safety. We sincerely appeal to President Tinubu and IGP Kayode Egbetokun to look into the plight of Journalists and caution government agencies to stop harassing journalists for speaking for the masses.”