5 Things: End Impunity… Nigerian Journalists Killed in the Line of Duty

By Aniwura Omolayo

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The United Nations in 2005 defined "impunity" as the impossibility of bringing the perpetrators of violations to account. There are no accusations, arrests, sanctions, and remedy.

Journalists killed in the line of duty, L - R: Pelumi Onifade, Maxwell Nashan and Precious Owolabi

Under the international law of human rights, impunity against journalists is a crime against humanity. It demonstrates a failure of the government to meet their obligations of respecting, protecting, and defending citizens.

The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists was marked on 2 November 2020. The free-for-all violence that erupted in Nigeria, during the #EndSARS protest the month before, underscored the significance of ending all crimes against civilians and the press that functions as the eye and voice of the people.

Globally, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), since 2006 till 2019, about 1,200 journalists have been killed for gathering information and reporting. This means one death every four days.

In Nigeria, as reported by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 11 journalists from Nigeria were killed between 1992 and 2020 while performing their duties as custodians of truth in the society. UNESCO also recorded the deaths of 2 Nigerian journalists in 2020.

Civil societies, such as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), have been keeping tabs on crimes against journalists in the country and amplifying challenges of investigative journalism. Also, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) recently demanded the arrest of gunmen responsible for the killings of journalists during the #EndSARS protests across the country.

The UNESCO believes that impunity leads to more killings and is often a symptom of the breakdown of law and judicial systems.

The Journalists We Lost Recently

This list was taken from the WSCIJ on 7 November 2020.

1. Pelumi Onifade

20-year-old Pelumi Onifade was a 200-level student of the Department of History, Tai Solarin University of Education in Ogun State. He was an intern with GboahTV, an online television. Pelumi was arrested by the police while covering the #EndSARS protests in Lagos on 24 October 2020. His body was later dumped at the mortuary of a general hospital in Ikorodu. 

2. Alexander Ogbu

Alexander Ogbu, a 50-year-old reporter and editor with a regional newspaper, Regent Africa Times, died from head injuries sustained during a protest by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria in Abuja on 21 January 2020. 

3. Maxwell Nashan

Maxwell Nashan, a reporter and newscaster with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) in Adamawa State, was found macheted and unconscious near his office a few hours after he was abducted on 15 January 2020. Those responsible for the death of the journalist are yet to be found. 

4. Precious Owolabi

Precious Owolabi, a 23-year old youth corps member with Channels Television was shot dead while covering a riot involving Shiite protesters on 22 July 2019 in Abuja. 

5. Brutalised Journalists

The CPJ reported that, in October 2020, the police and hoodlums disguised as #EndSARS demonstrators attacked at least 12 journalists covering the protests. 

Following the Lekki Massacre, a minimum of 5 news outlets – Lagos State Television (LTV), TVC News, Channels Television, Max FM and The Nation newspaper - were also attacked. The hoodlums burnt cars belonging to the media stations and stole equipment. 

Some of the journalists assaulted were

-         Ebuka Onyeji, a reporter with Premium Times online news platform, attacked by 5 policemen in Abuja on 5 October

-         Gimba Kakanda, a columnist with Daily Trust newspaper, beaten with sticks by the police in Abuja on 11 October

-         Arise Television camera operator Francis Ogbonna and reporter Ferdinand Duruoha attacked by security officers in Abuja also on 11 October

-         TVC News presenter Theophilus Elamah and the cameraman with him beaten by a group of “protesters” in Lagos on 12 October;

-         Ayo Makinde, a Sunrise Daily Host and senior correspondent with Channels Television, thrown to the ground by unidentified persons while covering the 21 October attack on TVC.

Others included Akpokona Omafuairet with the Vanguard newspaper in Delta State, The Sun’s Emmanuel Adeyemi in Kogi state, and Oluwatoyin Yusuf with the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC).

The UNESCO is concerned about the long-term damage to societies by covering up serious human rights abuse, corruption, and crime.

Ironically, it is up to the press to ensure that there is significant awareness of the truth about the violations and those avoiding the responsibility of justice.

More is expected of the press, regulatory authorities and civil societies to push the government and other primary stakeholders to take the necessary steps to prevent further violations.

The goals would be truly achieved when journalists are finally free indeed. The next International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists in 2021 will tell.

This article was written and voiced by Aniwura Omolayo on 7 November 2020. 

Soundtrack credit: Djembe Backing Track by Dan Blishen.