Nigeria records 1,326 attacks, 28 journalists dead in 9 years — Report

By Folarin Kehinde

Nigeria has recorded 1,326 press freedom violations and 28 deaths of journalists over a nine-year period, according to a report by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, CJID, underscoring ongoing concerns over the safety of media practitioners in the country.
The report was issued by CJID’s Executive Director, Akintunde Babatunde.
According to Babatunde, the data was drawn from the organisation’s Press Attack Tracker, PAT, a civic technology platform developed by CJID in 2017, to monitor, track and document attacks against journalists and independent media.
Since its launch, the tracker has documented a wide range of violations, including murder, physical assault, harassment, cyberbullying, denial of access to information, seizure and destruction of equipment, kidnapping, sanctions, unlawful arrest and imprisonment, as well as Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation, SLAPP.
CJID said the data was compiled from verified reports submitted through newsroom networks, journalists, and direct submissions, and is used to support advocacy, policy engagement, and broader monitoring of press freedom trends.
The organisation added that the publicly accessible records are intended to strengthen accountability mechanisms and inform interventions aimed at improving journalist safety and media independence.
Babatunde noted that the scale and consistency of violations over nine years point to deep-rooted challenges to press freedom in Nigeria, calling for stronger protections and greater accountability for perpetrators.

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