The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability project (SERAP) has strongly condemned the
arbitrary arrest and detention of journalist Zainab Sodiq by the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a statement made available to media houses, SERAP called on President Bola Tinubu to direct the DSS to immediately release her, as she is detained solely for the peaceful exercise of her human rights and for carrying out her legitimate work as a journalist.
According to the statement, the reported arrest and detention of Ms Sodiq represent yet another disturbing attack on press freedom, freedom of expression and the public’s right to seek, receive and impart information.
It stated that Journalism was not a crime and no journalist should be subjected to arrest, detention, intimidation, harassment or reprisals simply for carrying out professional duties or reporting on matters of public interest, pointing out that a free and independent press was indispensable to democracy, transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
“The rule of law requires all deprivations of liberty to comply strictly with legality, necessity, proportionality and judicial oversight, and that arbitrary detention has no place in a democratic society.
“The Nigerian authorities must immediately end the use of arbitrary detention and other forms of intimidation to silence journalists, critics and human rights defenders. The detention of Ms Sodiq sends a chilling message to journalists across the country and risks further shrinking Nigeria’s civic space.
“We are again calling on the Tinubu administration to immediately withdraw the politically motivated and unfounded charges against journalist Omoyele Sowore and allow him to freely carry out his journalistic, civic and political activities without intimidation, harassment or reprisals.
“The charges and lawsuits against Mr Sowore appear to be intended to intimidate, harass and silence him for peacefully exercising his human rights. They constitute an unnecessary, disproportionate and unjustifiable interference with his rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and risk creating a chilling effect on journalists, human rights defenders and other critical voices across Nigeria.
“The government of President Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s state governors, lawmakers and other must immediately stop the ongoing intimidation and harassment of journalists, activists, bloggers and civil society organizations (CSOs) in the country simply for the peaceful exercise of their human rights.
“Nigerian authorities must end the use of some provisions of the Cybercrimes Act, criminal and penal codes and other repressive laws to target journalists, activists, CSOs, and critics peacefully expressing their views online, and immediately release those arbitrarily detained across the country.
“Using repressive laws and strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) lawsuits to intimidate and harass journalists, activists, bloggers and CSOs erodes democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law in Nigeria.
“The use of repressive laws and SLAPP lawsuits to crackdown on peaceful dissent is entirely inconsistent with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international human rights obligations including under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which the country is a state party.
“Nigerian authorities at all levels should show that they tolerate peaceful dissent and media freedom if the Nigerian people are to have any chance of holding them accountable on their constitutional oath of office, commitments and promises.
“We are deeply concerned that Nigerian authorities at all levels and other actors continue to use repressive laws and misuse the judicial processes to normalize repression of the rights of journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders, activists, opposition politicians, artists and other Nigerians.
“Impunity for those who threaten, intimidate and harass journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders and activists contributes to the hostile environment for these defenders of constitutionally and internationally guaranteed human rights in Nigeria.
“The right to freedom of expression applies to all kinds of information and ideas, including those that may shock, offend or disturb.
“We urge President Tinubu and his government to publicly call on Nigeria’s state governors, the Nigerian Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) to uphold and ensure full respect for the rights of everyone in the country, including journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders and activists.
“We also call on President Tinubu and his government, the country’s 36 governors and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister to genuinely uphold human rights, press freedom, ensure access to information to all Nigerians, obey court judgments, and respect the rule of law.
“We urge the international community to hold Nigerian authorities to account for violations of human rights in the country, including by calling on the authorities at both the Federal and state levels to immediately and unconditionally release anyone detained solely for peacefully exercising their human rights”, the statement read.
