Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
How Intimidation Affects Journalists’ Ability to Report
By Oluwatoyin Hawal Momolosho
For reporting human-angle stories, journalists often find themselves unexpectedly at the center of their own narrative. As they set out to gather first hand information, they became compelling stories themselves. Overcoming obstacles along the way, they arrive at a moment of introspection, where the lines between reporter and reported blur. At this moment, they may question their role and wonder if it’s time to break free from the job that once drove them.
Navigating the Harsh intimidation faced by Journalists
Abdulrasheed Hammad, an award-winning writer and freelance journalist who has covered various reports on conflict, politics, crime, investigation, and climate change. In his latest report, he set out to uncover a story about unprotected pure water production facilities operating with ‘No NAFDAC numbers.’ However, he unexpectedly became the story himself.
During his investigation, Hammad went beyond his initial scope and uncover critical issues that required immediate government attention. Unfortunately, his pursuit of the story led to his arrest and detention at the police station for a day. Despite the challenges he faced, Abdulrasheed remained committed to telling the story. Ultimately, he successfully published his report, which is now available on ‘The cable Newspaper’.
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How the Storyteller Became the Story
In his report, Hammad never imagined that his search for a compelling story would lead him to become the story itself. His investigation into the shocking truth behind sachet water production in Sokoto, titled “Inside Sokoto Factories Producing Contaminated Sachet Water,” began with a simple observation: the sachet water in his surroundings was not only unregistered but also health risky.
As he delved deeper into the story, Abdulrasheed found himself entangled in a web of circumstances that turned the tables, making him an unwitting participant in the very investigation he was conducting. This report reveals the stunning twists and turns that unfolded, blurring the lines between the storyteller and the story.
While speaking with Abdulrasheed Hameed, he said, “I began investigating pure water factories in Sokoto due to the alarming presence of contaminated water in the area. My research revealed that 12 out of the factories I visited did not have a NAFDAC number on their sachet water, and lab tests showed that six (6) of them were contaminated and unsafe for consumption.ā
āTo balance my report, I sought comments from the factory owners. At the first factory, I informed them that their NAFDAC number had expired. However, things took a turn when I was speaking with the head of Al-Sherriff pure water factory. The owner became aggressive, accused me of being a fake journalist, and had me handcuffed and taken to the police station. I was subjected to harassment, intimidation, and physical abuse, which led to me developing high blood pressure. I was forced to write an apology letter and pay 5,000 Naira to secure my release. The trauma from this experience took me a month to recover from.ā Abdulrasheed bewailed
After publishing his report, Hammad received a call from a lawyer representing Al-Sherriff pure water, who claimed that his client had been defamed. However, he explained that the facts spoke for themselves: the factory’s NAFDAC number was not recognized, and their water was among the contaminated samples in the Lab test,” he concluded.
Hammad continued, “Subsequently, on the 15th of August, I received a call from Abdullahi Ahmed as an invitation from the State Security Service in Sokoto without a clear reason. When he pressed him for an explanation, he mentioned Hammadās report published on The Cable. Abdulrasheed requested a formal invitation letter from his media organization, but insisted on his physical presence for clarification.ā
āI offered to provide clarification remotely, but the DSS officer threatened to arrest me if I didn’t comply. I stood my ground, and eventually, the issue was resolved after my story “Reporter’s Diary” was published, and the police complained which makes the DPO of Arikilla police station in Sokoto reached out to me, refunded my money, and apologized for the mistreatment during the investigation and claimed that the officer who collected the released fund was transferred to Kano.
The experience left Hammad with high blood pressure due to the fear of attack, harassment from the police, and intimidation from the DSS officer. When he ask who was behind the allegations at the DSS office, no name was mentioned,” he stated.
Security Agencies Hindering Press Freedom in Nigeria
The Centre For Journalism Innovation & Development (CJID), through its Press Attack Tracker, has noted with great concern the perpetual harassment of journalists by security forces under the current President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
The tracker has documented 121 incidents of attacks on journalists between May 29, 2023, and August 26, 2024 while 81 of the attacks were perpetrated by state actors, mainly men of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigerian Police Force, and the State Security Service (SSS).
During the last nationwide #EndbadGovernance protest that took place in the first ten days of August 2024, the PAT documented 67 attacks on journalists who covered the protest in various locations across the country.
For decades, security agencies have been expected to be friends and protectors of citizens. However, when citizens need them most, they often exacerbate the situation and make it worse, especially when it comes to press-related issues.
It’s puzzling why security agencies fail to understand that journalists are also crucial in safeguarding the country. Instead of collaborating with them to expose corruption, they often defend it and harass innocent individuals who are trying to contribute to the country’s progress through their knowledge.
Is it difficult for security agencies to recognize that journalism is the voice of the voiceless? Or Are they gaining something by doing so? It’s time for them to realize that journalists are not enemies, but rather allies in the fight against corruption and injustice.
Reporters Raise Concerns
Abdulrasheed Akere, a campus journalist and Editor-in-chief at Pen Press Udus, shared his concerns about press attacks in Nigeria.
“Actually, press attack issues in Nigeria is a significant problem that needs to be addressed if we want a safer environment to live in. But, I don’t foresee it as a battle that is ending soon as long as the security agencies are not on the journalists’ side. Its persistence is due to the fact that the government recruits the agencies and appoint their heads/leaders, most of them are not ready to lose their jobs which is why they are obeying the order.ā He said
The security men also know that journalists are not the problem but the care for professional promotion and incessant allowance prompted their actions to defend the government. What happens to the maxim that echoes ‘police is your friend’ when there is an attack of journalists who are friends of the people and truth. The way forward is that all security agencies should not be under the government, that is they should be operating independently.
āIf there is no journalism, the world will be worse than we can imagine. The fear of being held accountable is making most of the perpetrators minimize their criminality. For the sake of the people, journalists shouldn’t stop what they do by succumbing to the pressure. Maybe one day, everyone will recognize their contributions to national development.ā He concluded
What breeds enmity for journalism and journalists (even at campus level) is the fact that some are not ready to do things in the right way and want to go away with it,” Akere stated.
Press Freedom Paramount for Journalists- Expert
Kehinde Ogunyale, a seasoned field freelance investigative and data journalist with years of experience, has faced numerous challenges in his line of work. Drawing from his expertise, he shared valuable insights and strategies to help fellow journalists avoid harassment and bullying while pursuing investigative stories or reports.
According to Ogunyale, he stated, “We do have press freedom, but it’s not absolute. There are laws and policies that limit it. We have press freedom, but not total freedom of the press. If there was no press freedom at all, we wouldn’t be able to publish anything.
The main issue is that our policies, government actions, and security agencies often infringe on journalists’ rights. This highlights the need for a review of our policies and a deeper understanding of the true function of journalism.
To address this, we need to define the role of media organizations in governance and create laws that guide their activities. Currently, our laws are conflicting, with some sections granting freedom while others restrict it. This inconsistency needs to be addressed.
Furthermore, we need synergy between the government, media, and civil society to ensure press freedom. The government and regulatory bodies should work together to protect journalists from harassment.
Additionally, media ownership is a crucial factor, as many media houses are owned by politicians, which can compromise their objectivity. This can lead to biased reporting and undermine the credibility of the media,” he ended.
CWPPF Reactions
According to Coalition Whistle-blowers Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF), regarding the harassment of Abdulrasheed Hammed, said, “We have noticed that powerful individuals resort to using security agents, especially DSS officials to intimidate journalists via phone calls ā where they are summoned and threatened without official communications established with their newsrooms. This approach is not alarming but also unacceptable.
While we acknowledge the role of security agencies in maintaining law and order, we reiterate that Investigative Journalism is not a crime under any known law in Nigeria and as such should not be criminalized.
āThe leaderships of the State Security Service and the Nigerian Police Force will therefore have to do more with educating their personnel on best practices of engaging journalists and direct them to stop harassing and intimidating journalists who are simply discharging their constitutional duties in the interest of the public.ā He said
Also, for future engagements where journalists may be required to provide insight to help with investigations, security agencies should follow the appropriate invitation procedure of sending an official invite to journalists and their newsrooms. This will enable them to prepare adequately before appearing. Such appearances should also not be turned into interrogation sessions because accountability journalism is not a crime.
āWe also call on the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the DSS to respectively hold the DPO of Arkilla Police station and Mr Muhammed Ahmed for their actions against Abdulrasheeed Ahmed and his fixer,” Signed by CWPPF Secretariat.
Oluwatoyin Hawal Momolosho, a freelance Journalist based in Nigeria
He can be reached via:oluwatoyinhawalbolaji@gmail.com
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