Amnesty International Nigeria has condemned the declaration of Kaduna-based radio presenter and journalist Zainab Salihu Yabagi as wanted by the police, describing the action as unlawful and an attack on press freedom.
The organisation also criticised the invasion of JKD TV Hamada Radio Network at Millennium City, Kaduna, by armed police officers, during which the station’s General Manager, Charles Abah, and a security guard were arrested.
In a statement, Amnesty International Nigeria said the police raid was linked to efforts to arrest Yabagi over a video explainer produced by JKD Radio and Television concerning Ibrahim Kabir Masari, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs.
“Amnesty International strongly condemns the unlawful and outrageous invasion” of the station by a contingent of heavily armed police officers, the organisation said.
It said the police told the station that they had instructions to arrest Yabagi in connection with the video, adding that the Kaduna State Police Command had already declared the journalist wanted.
Amnesty International said the incident was part of what it described as a broader pattern of government actions aimed at intimidating the Nigerian media and creating a climate of fear in newsrooms.
“The government of Nigeria is increasingly making it difficult for the media to report on issues of public interest without fear of reprisals,” the statement said.
The organisation said the alleged attack on JKD Radio and Television was “part of a wider pattern of attempts to create a climate of fear across newsrooms in Nigeria and to make it harder for journalists to do their job.”
It further argued that targeting independent media deprived citizens of access to fair and objective reporting on issues affecting their lives.
“No government official — no matter his status — is above scrutiny and criticism in the interest of the public,” Amnesty International said.
It warned that actions against journalists and media organisations threatened freedom of expression and the public’s right to information.
“An attack on the media is an attack on freedom,” the organisation said.
I can also turn this into a more newspaper-style report with a stronger headline, intro/lead, and additional context, suitable for publication in a newsmagazine.
