The Coalition for Whistleblowers Protection and Press Freedom, CWPPF, have called on the Inspector General of Police to ensure that the Cybercrime Act, 2015, ceases to be a weapon used for the harassment and arbitrary detainment of journalists and media workers.
The coalition made the call on Saturday while reacting to the reported arrest and continued detention of Mr Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), for alleged violation of the Cybercrime Act by the Nigeria Police.
In a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Centre for Journalism Innovation Development, CJID, Busola Ajibola, the coalition lamented that the family of the journalist only found out on Friday, May 3, 2024, that he is being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti in Lagos.
Condemning the arrest, the coalition noted that the arrest and continued detention of Ojukwu is not only a violation of his fundamental human rights but also an assault on press freedom.
“We call on the Nigerian police to immediately release Mr Daniel Ojukwu and follow legal procedures to engage him,” the coalition stressed.
The statement added: “We also call on the Inspector General of Police to ensure that the Cybercrime act 2015 ceases to be a weapon used in the harassment and arbitrarily detainment of journalists and media workers.
“We make this call based on past instances where the Cybercrime law has been used to criminalise journalism, harass and detain them.
“Journalism plays a critical role in democracy, and such actions are bound to undermine its core principles.”