Abuja, Nigeria, June 5, 2015-At least four journalists have been attacked in Nigeria, and one forced to flee his state, in the past week, according to news reports and one of the journalists. The attacks occurred in the same week that the Committee to Protect Journalists wrote an open letter to new President Muhammadu Buhari, who took office on May 29, calling on him to take steps to ensure journalists are able to work freely without the fear of reprisal.
“President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has an early opportunity to follow through on its pledges to promote freedom of the press,” said Peter Nkanga, CPJ’s West Africa representative. “We urge authorities to immediately investigate these attacks and prosecute the perpetrators to the full extent of Nigerian law, sending a clear message that violence against journalists will not be tolerated.”
Joseph Hir, a reporterfor the independent Daily Trust newspaper, told CPJ he was forced to flee Nassarawa State on May 29 after he was attacked that day by individuals wearing shirts supportive of Umaru Tanko al-Makura, the re-elected governor of Nassarawa State, as the governor took his oath of office. Hir said that before he was attacked, he received phone calls from individuals he said were acquaintances of al-Makura who told him the governor was unhappy with a story Hir published on May 23. The story questioned the political relevance of Nassarawa State in the national affairs of Buhari’s political party, the All Progressives Congress. Hir also said he was told by colleagues once he had fled that he should not to return to Nassarawa State.
Hir was beaten until he was comatose, news reports said. He was treated at a local hospital for bruises and injuries to his abdomen.
When called for comment, al-Makura told CPJ he would respond to questions via text message. CPJ’s follow-up text messages seeking comment were not immediately answered.
On June 3, Kamarudeen Ogundele, a correspondent for the independent daily newspaper Punch, was beaten and his clothes torn by dozens of individuals he said weresupporters of the governor of southwestern Ekiti Stateand his political party, the People’s Democratic Party, according to news reports. Ogundele said he had been taking photographs near the state parliament buildingof women praying for peace following an attempt by the PDP supporters to prevent lawmakers of Buhari’s political party, theAll Progressives Congress, from entering the building. Ogundele said he identified himself as a journalist but he was beaten, hit, and kicked until police intervened. He said his phone was seized in the attack.
The governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, later apologized for his supporters’ actions and condemned the attack, according to news reports.
