Monitor Tinubu’s govt now – HURIWA tells international community

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the ongoing persecution of investigative journalists by the Nigerian government.

HURIWA called on the international community to closely monitor these escalating attacks on the free press, warning that the recent wave of arrests, harassment, and abductions of journalists under President Bola Tinubu’s administration poses a severe threat to democracy and constitutionalism in Nigeria.

In a media statement signed by its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA expressed concern that David Hundeyin, an investigative journalist, has become a target of the Nigeria Police Force due to his alleged connections with Bristol Isaac, also known as PIDOMNigeria, and Michael Alade.

The rights group alleged that Hundeyin’s investigative reporting, particularly his exposés on President Tinubu’s alleged certificate fraud during the period he was President-elect, has drawn the ire of the current administration.

The association claimed that Hundeyin is being persecuted solely for his commitment to uncovering the truth and holding those in power accountable.

during a recent press conference in Abuja, NPF spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi disclosed that the police had linked Hundeyin and Alade to PIDOMNigeria, who has been accused of leaking classified documents, fraud, sedition, and tax evasion.

Adejobi stated that an investigation by the National Cybercrime Center led to the identification of these individuals as accomplices in crimes allegedly committed by PIDOMNigeria.

The principal suspect, Bristol Isaac, was reportedly apprehended in a hotel in Port Harcourt after a dramatic attempt to resist arrest, including destroying potential evidence by smashing and flushing his phone down a toilet.

The human rights association expressed deep concern over the NPF’s actions, describing the ongoing persecution of journalists as a concerted effort by the Tinubu administration to silence dissenting voices and clamp down on investigative journalism.

The association highlighted a pattern of intimidation and repression against members of the press since the inception of the current administration.

HURIWA noted a disturbing rise in the arrest and harassment of journalists since President Tinubu took office.

“One of the earliest cases involved the arrest of Segun Olatunji, then Editor of FirstNews newspaper, by operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in March.

“This was followed by the abduction of Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), on May 1.

“Ojukwu was held incommunicado at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Lagos for ten days before being released, raising serious concerns about the misuse of the Cybercrime Act to suppress critical reporting,” the association recounted.

Further underscoring the worsening situation, HURIWA pointed to the recent case of Adejuwon Soyinka, the West African Regional Editor of The Conversation Africa and pioneer editor of the BBC Pidgin Service, who was detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) upon his return to Nigeria.

Despite being released after six hours, his passport was confiscated, reflecting the increasing trend of security agencies using repressive tactics against journalists.

The association also cited numerous other instances where journalists have faced persecution, including the arrest of Isaac Bristol (PIDOMNigeria), Kasarahchi Aniagolu of The Whistler Newspaper, Achadu Gabriel of Daybreak Newspaper, Godwin Tsa of The Sun Newspaper, and several others.

“These journalists have been targeted for their investigative work, particularly in exposing corruption and holding government officials accountable,” HURIWA said.

It argued that these actions starkly contradict President Tinubu’s recent promises to uphold the rule of law and tolerate dissenting views.

The association warned that the administration’s increasing hostility towards the press could derail Nigeria’s democracy, turning it into an autocracy where freedom of speech and the press is severely curtailed.

The group called on “the international community to closely monitor Nigeria’s situation and pressure President Tinubu to respect the principles of democracy, human rights, and press freedom.”

It urged global organizations, such as the United Nations, the African Union, and international human rights bodies, to intervene and ensure Nigeria does not slide into authoritarianism.

The association also demanded that the Nigerian government grant David Hundeyin and other persecuted journalists a fair hearing and protection of their legal rights.

HURIWA condemned the ongoing media trial of Bristol Isaac (PIDOMNigeria) by the NPF as biased and intolerable, insisting that the courts, not the police, should independently determine the validity of the charges against him.

The association emphasized that any attempt to suppress investigative journalism through intimidation, harassment, or arrest must be vigorously resisted by all Nigerians who cherish democracy and freedom..