Published 14th Dec, 2021

By Damilola Adeyera

The International Press Centre (IPC) has expressed worries over the consistent threat on Nigerian journalists whose works have exposed wrongdoings in the country.

In a statement made available to FIJ on Tuesday, Melody Lawal, Programme Officer at the IPC, said the organisation was disturbed about the reported threat on the life of Vanguard reporter Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo. In his report, Ibrahim told the story of a group clamoring for an Igbo Presidency in 2023.

According to Ibrahim, Shettima Yerima, leader of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), claimed to have been “insulted ” by the publication. The Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, called on the Nigerian government and the security agencies to ensure that Ibrahim is not harmed in anyway.

IPC also condemned the arrest and detention of ‘Fisayo Soyombo, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Foundation for Investigative Journalism, after he had reported at Force Headquarters on Monday to answer questions relating to an FIJ story exposing high-level corruption in the Police.

Soyombo received an invitation from the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit. He honoured the invitation, but what the police called an interview with the head of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit turned out to be an arrest and detention over the story titled ‘EXCLUSIVE: Egbunike, Head of Abba Kyari Probe Panel, Joined Others to Approve N1bn for Fake Police Camp Projects’.

“We will like to repeat that those who feel aggrieved over media reports should use appropriate means to seek redress and not resort to self-help,” read the statement.

“IPC believes the time has come to stop attacks on journalists in Nigeria, so that the country would stop being counted among dangerous zones for journalists to practice across the world.”

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