Amnesty International condemns police raid on media outlets in Nigeria
Amnesty International has condemned a police raid on JKD TV and Hamada Radio Network in Millennium City in the city of Kaduna, Nigeria. The human rights organization also called the declaration of journalist Zainab Yabagi as wanted unlawful. According to its statement, the station’s general manager, Charles Abaha, and a security guard were detained during the raid.
Journalist declared wanted
As Premium Times Nigeria reports, police said they had received instructions to detain Zainab Yabagi over a short explainer video produced by JKD Radio and Television. The video concerned Ibrahim Masari, the Nigerian president’s special adviser on political affairs.
The Kaduna State Police Command had earlier declared the journalist wanted. Yabagi works for JKD Media, a media outlet whose owner the publication identifies as former Nigerian diplomat and presidential media aide Yusuf Mamman.
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Amnesty International statement
Amnesty International said that Nigerian authorities are increasingly making it difficult for media outlets to cover issues of public importance without fear of persecution. In the organization’s view, the actions against JKD Radio/Television are part of a broader trend of pressure on editorial offices and the creation of an atmosphere of fear among journalists.
Human rights defenders also state that Abaha and the security guard continue to be unlawfully detained. According to Amnesty International, journalist Zainab Salihu Yabagi was declared wanted on Masari’s instructions.
In the video, Yabagi questioned Masari’s spending and the origin of the funds. The publication notes that Masari, together with Yobe State Governor Mai Mala-Buni, recently announced donations of 300 million naira each in the city of Jos for a proposed university initiated by Islamic cleric Sani Jingir.
