Amnesty International Slams FG for Banning Journalists from Aso Rock

The international human rights advocacy organization Amnesty International has condemned the decision by the Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to ban 25 journalists and media houses from covering the activities at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Amnesty International, in a statement, said the revocation of the journalists’ accreditations is a “devastating blow to media freedom in the country and will have an impact on the exercise of the right to freedom of expression.”

The organization said the ban is “arbitrary and inconsistent with Nigeria’s international and constitutional human rights obligations and commitments.”

Amnesty International also said the ban is “a clear attempt to muzzle the media and restrict the flow of information to the public.”

The organization called on the the federal government to reverse the ban and allow journalists to freely cover the activities at the Presidential Villa.

The affected journalists reportedly include those from Vanguard newspaper; Galaxy TV; Ben TV; MITV; ITV Abuja; PromptNews, ONTV, and Liberty.

The ban on the journalists was reportedly imposed on the grounds of “security concerns and overcrowding of the press gallery area.” However, Amnesty International said the ban is “a pretext to silence critical voices.”

The organization said the ban is “part of a wider pattern of harassment and intimidation of journalists by the Tinubu Presidency.”

The statement by Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria reads in part, “The media has a role and responsibility to convey information and ideas on matters of public interest and to make sure that the public has a right and the possibility to receive them”

“Nigeria is party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights which guarantee the right to freedom of expression and impose legal obligations on states to protect freedom of expression and information.

“The Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] also guarantees the right to freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom.

“Authorities should encourage and promote the enjoyment of human rights including freedom of expression and media freedom rather than restricting them.

“The arbitrary revocation of the journalists’ accreditations is inconsistent and incompatible with Nigeria’s international and constitutional human rights obligations and commitments.”