THE Coalition for Whistleblowers Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF) has condemned the invitation of a journalist with Premium Times, Emmanuel Agbo, by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) over a report that had not yet been published at the time of the invite.
In a statement by the coalition, the situation was described as disturbing and an attempt to suppress press freedom.
The journalist was asked to report to the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Response Team (NPF-IRT) in a letter dated May 31, 2024, to respond to a petition by Homadils Realty Limited, a land developer and key party in a land dispute referenced in the unpublished report.
Premium Times reported that one of its lawyers showed up at the NPF-IRT office to honour the invitation, but the Police insisted that Agbo appears in person to disclose the sources behind the report he was working on.
“CWPPF finds the invitation of Mr Agbo by the Police, and the intention of the Force to compel the journalist to disclose his source disturbing as such an act undermines the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of the press and the protection of their sources.
“The persistent use of the Police Force by powerful individuals and organisations as a tool to harass journalists to suppress investigative journalism needs to stop. It is high time the Inspector General of Police addressed this manifestation of outright disregard for the rule of law and democratic principles,” the statement read in part.
The statement urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately end the harassment of journalists by the Police.
“The harassment signals an attempt to restrain and censor him from publishing his findings. Journalists have the right to discharge their constitutionally charged duties without fear of reprisal, and the Nigeria Police Force should not allow itself to be used as a tool of oppression against journalists,” it added.
Journalists have been invited and, in some cases, detained by operatives of the NPF for long periods.
In May 2024, the Force through its National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) invited The ICIR publisher, Dayo Aiyetan, and a journalist with the organisation, Nurudeen Akewushola, over an investigation published by the organisation, which indicted two former IGPs and other top police officials of corruption.
In its invitation, the Police claimed it was probing a case of cyberstalking and defamation of character based on a petition received by the office of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Investigative Department.
Upon honouring the invitation, both men were detained for nine hours by the Police, during which neither they nor their lawyers could be reached.
Police officers also abducted a reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) Daniel Ojukwu and detained him for 10 days after which he was released.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.