The African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has slammed the Inspector General of Police over attacks on journalists covering the #EndBadGovernance protests in some parts of the country. It frowned at the attacks on journalists by the police. The group called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and other security agencies to maintain law and order.
Despite President Bola Tinubu’s broadcast, the #EndBadGovernance protests that began on August 1, 2024, continue in some states across the country. In a statement issued on Monday by the group’s coordinator, Dr. Chido Onumah, the group strongly condemned the violence against journalists and other citizens by the police.
The group said it is their constitutional right to freedom of assembly and expression within the extant laws of the country. The statement reads in part: “Attacking journalists for covering the protests infringes on a constitutional provision that clearly establishes citizens’ right to freedom of expression and the freedom of the press. “To be clear, Chapter 4, Section 39 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution (1999) states: ‘Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.
’ “We note that it is a flagrant violation of this law for the police to attack journalists for doing their work, and to equally brutalize other citizens for exercising the right to protest..