CPJ condemns detention of journalists

The detentions of Nigerian publisher Agba Jalingo and Ethiopian editor Fekadu Mahtemework – the only journalists behind bars for their work in their countries, only tell part of the story of their governments’ crackdowns on freedom of expression. That's according to a statement released by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) yesterday. A report on the IoL site notes that the CPJ Africa programme's Muthoki Mumo and Jonathan Rozen said investigations throughout 2019 to compile the organisation's list of 250 journalists imprisoned in connection with their work identified multiple complex cases of jailed activist-journalists, whose ongoing detentions were found to be more connected with their political activities than their journalistic work. 'One example is Oyomole Sowore, the Nigerian activist and journalist who founded the Sahara Reporters news website. Sowore does not appear on CPJ’s prison census. But his detention, and that of other activist-journalists arrested in Ethiopia, matters,' they said.

A Nigerian newspaper yesterday labelled President Muhammadu Buhari's administration a dictatorship because of its alleged human rights violations and 'disregard' for democratic institutions. In a scathing editorial, the Punch newspaper said it could no longer ignore the activities of security agencies under Buhari, which it said had resulted in attacks on the media, citizens and civil society in the country. CNN reports that it said it will now address Buhari with his military title, and his administration will be described as a 'regime'. The independent newspaper cited the arrest and detention of Sowore and Muslim cleric Ibrahim Zakzaky and the authorities' 'disregard' of court orders granting the release of detainees held by the country's security forces for its decision.