NGE, SERAP demand reform of Cybercrimes Act, media freedom

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) have called for the suspension of the implementation of the Cybercrimes Act.

The groups decried a sharp rise in attacks on press freedom and civil liberties during a press briefing held in Lagos.

They accused Nigerian authorities of weaponising the Cybercrimes Act and other regulatory tools to stifle dissent, criminalise journalism, and target critics of the government.

In his submission, Deputy Director of SERAP, Kolawole Oluwadare, delivered a scathing critique of what he described as an “escalating crackdown” on freedom of expression.

He specifically cited Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act, despite its 2024 amendment, as a legal bludgeon routinely used against journalists, bloggers, activists, and even ordinary citizens for expressing opinions online.

“We are deeply concerned about the growing use of legislation to silence dissent. The authorities continue to deploy Section 24 to target Nigerians for exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights,” Oluwadare said.

He added that the pattern of abuse includes extrajudicial arrests, malicious prosecutions, enforced disappearances, and unlawful surveillance—tactics increasingly used to intimidate both professional journalists and social media users.

“People have been arrested and charged simply for posts in WhatsApp alumni groups. This is no longer just repression—it’s absurd and dangerous,” he remarked.

Oluwadare explained that the 2024 amendment of the Cybercrimes Act fell short of aligning with a 2022 judgment by the ECOWAS Court of Justice, which ruled Section 24 of the original law as vague, arbitrary, and in violation of international human rights treaties such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

According to him, the amended version retains ambiguous terms, especially under provisions relating to “cyberstalking”, creating room for arbitrary interpretation and misuse.

“You can be prosecuted merely because someone claims to feel ‘fear’ from your message. That’s not a standard for justice; it’s an open door to censorship and tyranny,” Oluwadare warned.

Similarly, Dr Iyobosa Uwugiaren, General Secretary of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, called for the immediate suspension of the enforcement of the law until its problematic provisions are repealed or revised in line with Nigeria’s obligations under international and domestic human rights law.

“We urge President Tinubu to ensure that no journalist, blogger, or activist is arrested, detained, or harassed simply for doing their job,” Uwugiaren said.

“The government must demonstrate a genuine commitment to the rule of law and press freedom,” he added.

Uwugiaren revealed that the Guild has set up a committee comprising senior editors and media executives to identify laws currently impeding journalistic freedom.

The aim, he said, is to develop a robust reform agenda to be presented to the National Assembly.

Their concerns come amid an alarming spike in attacks against journalists in Nigeria.

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) reported at least 110 verified attacks on media professionals so far in 2024, surpassing figures from previous years, including the widely criticised media clampdown of 2013.

Among the documented cases are the prolonged detention of International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) staff, assaults on journalists covering protests in Lagos and Abuja, and the forced closure of independent media outlets in the northern states.

Also present at the briefing was Martin Onoja, former Managing Director of The Guardian newspaper, who painted a grim picture of the current state of investigative and data-driven journalism in Nigeria.

“Our journalism is factual, data-driven, and in the public interest. Yet, it is constantly under threat,” Onoja said.

“We’ve had to mediate in conflict zones just because we reported the truth. In today’s Nigeria, good journalism makes you a target,” he added.

Onoja criticised what he described as the government’s misplaced priorities, pointing to huge expenditures on infrastructure and overseas medical tourism, even as the education and media sectors remain underfunded or deliberately targeted.

“The government pours billions into roads and airports but leaves media workers vulnerable and education systems broken. It’s a betrayal of the very institutions that hold democracy together,” he concluded.

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE