Journalists who might be attacked or harassed while covering the #EndBadGovernance protests can seek help through the International Press Centre (IPC)’s Safety Alert Desk Helpline – 08132776441.

The IPC announced the helpline via a statement on Wednesday ahead of the nationwide protests scheduled to kick off on August 1. The protesters want the government to address hunger, high cost of living, and insecurity, among other demands.

While urging journalists to adopt necessary safety measures to avoid attacks during the protests, Lanre Arogundade, the Executive Director of IPC, noted that this was crucial due to past incidents of assault on journalists in the course of legitimate duty.

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“Journalists who are to cover the protests should ensure that they are fully kitted and have their identification card clearly displayed in order to avoid situations wherein security agencies may mistake them for protesters and avoid a situation that would make the security agencies to question them, unduly harass, or bar them from performing their duties,” Arogundade stated.

Nigerian journalists have been beaten, assaulted, arrested, detained and even killed in line of duty. In February 2024, soldiers arrested Dele Fasan, the South-South Bureau Chief of Galaxy Television in Delta State, for recording a planned labour protest in the metropolis against economic hardship.

READ ALSO: ‘Expect Killings if Soldiers Get Involved in #EndBadGovernance Protests’

During the October 2020 nationwide EndSARS protests, at least 12 journalists and five media outlets were attacked. Also in October 2021, the Nigerian police assaulted and detained journalists who covered the memorials held in remembrance of the previous year’s protest.

The year 2023 was not different either, as journalists also encountered assault and harassment while covering the general elections in different parts of the country.