A media rights group, Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Thursday called on President Bola Tinubu to make a commitment to ensure the safety of journalists in Nigeria.
The group also asked him to bring an end to impunity for crimes against journalists by ensuring that government officials and non-state actors who attack journalists are punished in accordance with the law.
The organisation noted that it is now 10 years since the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed November 2 of every year as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists by Resolution 68/163 on “The safety of journalists and the issue of impunity”, which it adopted on December 18, 2013, at its 68th session.”
It stated that in the resolution, the UN General Assembly urged all member states, including Nigeria, “to do their utmost to prevent violence against journalists and media workers, ensure accountability through the conduct of impartial, speedy, and effective investigations into all alleged violence against journalists and media workers.”
It regretted that over the last 10 years, the federal government had not taken any discernible measure towards fulfilling any single one of these requirements.
The MRA’s executive director, Mr. Edetaen Ojo, said: “On the occasion of this year’s International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, we remain extremely concerned that despite numerous and frequently recurring cases of attacks against journalists in Nigeria, with at least 19 journalists killed over the years, no one has ever been charged with any crime for such attacks or punished for such offenses with the result that Nigeria appears to be suggesting that attacking or killing journalists is acceptable and will attract no consequences.’’
