A human rights advocacy group has strongly condemned the reported arrest and continued detention of journalist Zainab Sodiq by the Department of State Services (DSS), describing the action as an arbitrary violation of press freedom and a threat to Nigeria’s democratic values.
The group called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately direct the DSS to release Sodiq, insisting that she was being detained solely for peacefully exercising her constitutional rights and carrying out her professional duties as a journalist.
In a statement, the organisation described the journalist’s detention as another disturbing attack on freedom of expression and the public’s right to access information, stressing that journalism should never be criminalised.
According to the group, no journalist should face arrest, intimidation, harassment or detention for reporting on matters of public interest, noting that an independent media remains essential to transparency, accountability, good governance and the rule of law.
It argued that every deprivation of liberty must comply with the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality and judicial oversight, adding that arbitrary detention has no place in a democratic society.
The organisation further urged Nigerian authorities to halt what it described as the growing use of arbitrary detention and other forms of intimidation against journalists, critics and human rights defenders, warning that Sodiq’s detention sends a chilling signal to media practitioners across the country and further shrinks Nigeria’s civic space.
The group also renewed its call for the Federal Government to withdraw what it termed politically motivated and unfounded charges against journalist and activist Omoyele Sowore, saying the legal actions appear designed to intimidate and silence him for peacefully exercising his constitutional rights.
It maintained that the charges against Sowore amount to an unnecessary and disproportionate interference with his rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, while creating a chilling effect on journalists, activists and other dissenting voices.
The organisation called on the Tinubu administration, state governors, lawmakers and security agencies to immediately end what it described as the intimidation and harassment of journalists, bloggers, activists and civil society organisations engaged in the peaceful exercise of their rights.
It also urged authorities to discontinue the use of provisions of the Cybercrimes Act, criminal and penal codes, as well as other laws, to prosecute individuals expressing lawful opinions online, and demanded the unconditional release of all persons allegedly detained solely for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights.
According to the group, the increasing deployment of repressive legislation and Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) suits undermines democracy, weakens respect for human rights and erodes the rule of law.
The organisation argued that such actions are inconsistent with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Nigeria’s obligations under international human rights instruments, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Expressing concern over what it described as the misuse of legal processes to suppress journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders, opposition figures and artists, the group warned that impunity for those responsible for threats and harassment continues to fuel a hostile environment for defenders of fundamental rights.
It stressed that the right to freedom of expression extends to all forms of information and opinions, including those that may be considered controversial, offensive or unpopular.
The organisation urged President Tinubu to publicly direct security agencies, including the DSS and the Nigeria Police Force, as well as state governments, to uphold constitutional rights, respect media freedom and guarantee the safety of journalists and human rights defenders.
It further called on the Federal Government, the 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to demonstrate genuine commitment to human rights by respecting court judgments, protecting press freedom, guaranteeing access to information and upholding the rule of law.
The group also appealed to the international community to continue holding Nigerian authorities accountable for alleged human rights violations and to press for the immediate and unconditional release of individuals detained solely for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights.
