The Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC) has condemned the arrest and continued detention of its Human Rights Journalist and investigative reporter, Ahmed Isah Sakpe, in Minna, describing the action as an attack on press freedom.
In a statement signed by its Public Affairs and New Media Specialist, Nonye Maria Aghaji, the organisation alleged that Sakpe was arrested by the Niger State Police Command on the directive of a protocol officer attached to Governor Umar Bago. According to WAMAC, the journalist was picked up over allegations of cyberbullying, which the group characterised as unfounded and linked to his investigative reporting.
WAMAC described the arrest as a misuse of state institutions and security agencies to intimidate journalists and suppress critical voices in Niger State. It warned that such actions undermine democratic principles and the constitutional guarantee of press freedom.
The organisation further alleged that the development reflects a pattern of hostility towards the media, recalling that the International Press Institute (IPI) had previously raised concerns over press freedom issues involving the state government.
WAMAC called for the immediate release of Sakpe and urged rights and professional bodies, including Amnesty International and the Nigeria Union of Journalists, to intervene.
Reaffirming its commitment to investigative journalism, the group maintained that journalists have a duty to hold public officials accountable and to ensure citizens remain informed about matters of public interest.
