The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, and Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release all journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders and activists detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights and doing their legitimate work.
The groups also called for the release of Dele Farotimi, who is facing criminal defamation and cybercrime charges.
The call was made at a joint press conference in Lagos on Tuesday.
Speaking through Dr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren, Secretary of the NGE, the groups want the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release defenders of the civic space in commemoration of the 2024 International Human Rights Day, themed: “Nigeria: Backsliding on Human Rights and Media Freedom.”
According to SERAP and NGE, wants the Nigerian President to publicly call on Nigeria’s state governors, the Nigerian Police Force, the Department of State Services, DSS, to uphold and ensure full respect for the rights of everyone in the country including journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders and activists.
The group in a statement co-signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare and NGE Secretary, Dr. Uwugiaren stated, “We also call on President Tinubu and his government to ensure the prompt, thorough, impartial, transparent and effective investigations into all allegations of human rights violations against journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders and activists and to ensure that those suspected to be responsible for are brought to justice as well as provide access to justice and effective remedies to victims.
“We urge President Tinubu and his government to review laws like the Official Secrets Act, Criminal Code Act and Cybercrime Act for potential restrictions on free speech and press; and amend them in line with international human rights standards and Agreements, including the Windhoek Declaration for the Development of a Free, Independent and Pluralistic Press. These laws continue to erode citizens’ enjoyment of their human rights and media freedom.
“We call on President Tinubu and his government, the country’s 36 governors and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister to genuinely uphold press freedom, ensure access to information to all Nigerians, obey court judgments, and respect the rule of law.
“We urge President Tinubu and his government to strengthen the independence of regulatory bodies like the NBC and Nigerian Press Council (NPC) to ensure impartial regulation and promote self-regulation within the media.
“We urge the Attorney General to push for the immediate amendment of the Cybercrimes Act and other repressive legislation, and bring these laws in line with the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) and international human rights obligations to which Nigeria is a state party.
“We urge the Attorney General to advise President Bola Tinubu to promptly obey all outstanding court judgments including the ECOWAS Court judgment directing the Federal Government to repeal the repressive Cybercrimes Act and bring it in conformity with Nigeria’s international human rights obligations and commitments.
“We urge the Minister of Information to promptly review restrictive and oppressive media legislation in Nigeria and pursue the immediate revision of any provisions that violate the right to freedom of expression, access to information including online and media freedom, and ensure that any restrictions on media freedom are necessary, proportionate and the least restrictive.
“We urge the Minister of Information to ensure that the regulatory mechanisms including the National Broadcasting Commission are independent and promote self-regulation of the media.
“We urge the Minister of Information to publicly express commitment to the promotion and protection of freedom of expression and access to information including online and media freedom in Nigeria.
“We call on the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to stop using its codes to clampdown on broadcast stations and to impose arbitrary fines on them. The NBC must review its codes to bring them in line with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and international human rights standards.
“We call on the NBC to implement without further delay the judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos which the Commission stop using the NBC Act and the Nigeria Broadcasting Code to impose fines, threaten to impose sanctions, harass and intimidate the broadcast stations and other independent media houses in the country.
“We urge the National Assembly to immediately harmonise all laws pertaining to freedom of expression, media freedom and civic space in Nigeria to confer authority on a specific independent agency that will oversee the collection, maintenance, usage, and dissemination of the personal information and records of all citizens and prioritise fundamental human rights.
“We urge the National Assembly to promptly and comprehensively review the Cybercrimes Act and other restrictive legislation, and revise them as appropriate to bring them into line with Nigeria’s international human rights obligations and commitments regarding the right to freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom.
“We urge the National Assembly to immediately drop any social media and other bills that would restrict freedom of expression, media freedom and civic space and undermine the effective enjoyment of these rights in Nigeria.
“We urge state governors to ensure that security agencies, the Nigeria Police Force and other authorities drop all charges against journalists, bloggers and other media workers, and critics, and cease further arbitrary closures of radio and television stations.
“We urge state governors to publicly support and commit to the protection and promotion of the right to freedom of expression, access to information and the media freedom, including public reporting of sensitive political and other issues within their states.
“We urge state governors to ensure that any government or security officials found responsible for obstructing, abusing, or attacking journalists, critics or media organisations are appropriately disciplined or prosecuted.
“We urge state governors to publicly support and ensure the direct and full application of the Freedom of Information Act within their respective states.
“We urge state governors to ensure adequate compensation and reparation for victims of human rights violations in their respective states, including restitution, satisfaction, and guarantee of non-repetition.
“We urge the international community to hold Nigerian authorities to account for violations of human rights in the country including by calling on the authorities at both the Federal and state levels to immediately and unconditionally release anyone detained solely for peacefully exercising their human rights and to immediately withdraw any charges against them.
“We urge the international community to encourage the Nigerian authorities to uphold constitutional and international human rights obligations on human rights and to respect, protect, promote and fulfil these rights including freedom of expression and opinion, access to information and privacy online and offline, and ensure a free and independent media landscape.”
Also the President of the NGE, Eze Anaba, re-affirmed the commitment of the NGE to the rule of law, adding that “it is our responsibility to be alert, to engage and responsive to the challenges of today.”
He cited the situation in Ekiti State where a human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, was dragged to court in chains for allegedly libeling a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Afe Babalola.
