The international human rights advocacy organisation said the revocation of the accreditations of the journalists is a devastating blow to media freedom in the country and will have an impact on the exercise of the right to freedom of expression.
The Nigerian authorities must rescind the revocation of accreditations of 25 journalists covering the Presidential Villa, Amnesty International has said.
The international human rights advocacy organisation said the revocation of the accreditations of the journalists is a devastating blow to media freedom in the country and will have an impact on the exercise of the right to freedom of expression.
Amnesty International lamented that on 18 August 2023, the Bola Tinubu Presidency withdrew the accreditation tags of some 25 journalists and media houses from covering the activities at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on vague grounds of “security concerns and overcrowding of the press gallery area.”
The banned journalists reportedly include those from Vanguard newspaper; Galaxy TV; Ben TV; MITV; ITV Abuja; PromptNews, ONTV, and Liberty. Other media personnel affected by the withdrawal are mostly reporters and cameramen from broadcast, print, and online media outlets.
The affected journalists were simply told at the main gate of the presidential villa to submit their accreditation tags.
Media freedom, media diversity and the protection of journalists are a central part of the effective exercise of freedom of expression.
“The media has a role and responsibility to convey information and ideas on matters of public interest and to make sure that the public has a right and the possibility to receive them,” a statement by Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria said.
“Nigeria is party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights which guarantee the right to freedom of expression and impose legal obligations on states to protect freedom of expression and information.
“The Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] also guarantees the right to freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom.
“Authorities should encourage and promote the enjoyment of human rights including freedom of expression and media freedom rather than restricting them.
“The arbitrary revocation of the journalists’ accreditations is inconsistent and incompatible with Nigeria’s international and constitutional human rights obligations and commitments.”
