The International Press Centre has marked the 2020 International Day to End Impunity for crimes against journalists.
To mark the IDEI, the IPC organised a media roundtable and stakeholders forum on Journalist’ safety and press freedom limitations in Nigeria.
The event, which was held on December 9, was attended by Prof. Ayo Olukotun of Onabisi Onabanjo University, representatives of stakeholders from the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers and Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria.
The Executive Director, International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade, gave the welcome remarks at the event.
Arogundade said the initiative of the Centre was primarily aimed at improving the boundaries of safety of journalists and press freedom in Nigeria through continued sensitisation of media professionals and other relevant stakeholders.
He also noted that the safety of journalists in Nigeria now requires special attention while urgent reforms to address the situation are needed as the Country is now one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists.
Arogundade said: “t is my pleasure and that of the International Press Centre, IPC, Lagos-Nigeria, to welcome everyone to this media roundtable and stakeholders’ forum on journalists’ safety and press freedom limitations in Nigeria.
“This event, being held to mark year 2020 edition of the United Nation’s International Day to End Impunity (IDEI) for Crimes Against Journalists, is an outcome of IPC’s NIGERIAN JOURNALISTS SAFETY INITIATIVE.
“Additionally, the activity is one of the components of a three-year project on ‘Safety Awareness and Impactful Reporting of Communities’ being implemented by IPC with the support of the Open Society Foundation.
“The initiative primarily aims to improve the boundaries of safety of journalists and press freedom in Nigeria through continued sensitization of media professionals and other relevant stakeholders.
“This forum represents a collective reawakening to the dangers posed to press freedom in Nigeria, and limitations to the journalism profession within the context of safety.
“The state of the safety of journalists in Nigeria now requires special attention while urgent reforms to address the situation are needed as the Country is now one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists, who are often spied on, attacked, arbitrarily arrested, or even killed.
“IPCs monitoring activities have documented several cases of attacks on journalists; moreover, during the #Endsars protests, police and demonstrators attacked at least 12 journalists covering protests against police brutality and calling for the abolition of the country’s Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad and at least five news outlets were attacked.
“Within a ten-month period, prior to the #EndSARS protest, IPC through its Journalists’ Safety Alert Desk documented fifty-nine (59) instances of attacks on journalists. Meanwhile, the nature of the attacks included physical assault, harassment, brutalization, armed robbery, threat to life, unlawful arrest and detention, which resulted in body injuries like bruises, fracture and public humiliation. The persons/groups allegedly responsible for the attacks were LASTMA, Nigerian Police, and Department of State Security Services, Armed robbers, Islamic movement of Nigeria, Soldiers, and Nigerian Customs Service.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Amnesty International, Committee to protect Journalists, Media Rights Agenda and Social Economic Rights Accountability Project have similarly released reports that capture various acts of violations of citizens’ rights, including the media and journalists within the past year.
“Today, our array of eminent speakers and panelists, will speak further to the issue at hand, so also, our eminent guests. Our expectation is that at the end of it all, we will come up with resolutions and action points that should make clear our collective resolve to check the abuse of media and journalists’ rights by all means LEGITIMATELY, LEGALLY AND CONSTITUTIONALLY possible.
“We thank Professor Ayo Olukotun of Onabisi Onabanjo University for accepting to deliver the main address on this occasion. We also thank representatives of stakeholders from the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Nigerian Guild of Editors, GOCOP, NPAN, among others, for being here.
“We wish to express our immense gratitude to the Open Society Foundation whose support has made this endeavour possible.
“We thank you all most sincerely for creating the time to be part of this important event.”