Nigeria’s press freedom environment deteriorated significantly in 2025, with 86 documented attacks against journalists, media houses, and citizens, while not a single perpetrator faced prosecution, according to a damning report released Thursday by Media Rights Agenda, MRA.
The 147-page annual report, ominously titled “The Reign of Impunity,” paints a grim picture of systematic suppression of free expression across Africa’s most populous nation, with law enforcement agencies emerging as the primary violators of press freedom rights.
The Nigeria Police Force was identified as the worst offender, responsible for 41 incidents—nearly 48 percent of all documented attacks. The Department of State Services followed with approximately 7 percent of cases, meaning the two security agencies alone accounted for over half of all violations.
“The persistent culture of impunity remains one of the gravest threats to media freedom in Nigeria, emboldening perpetrators and sometimes deepening fear and self-censorship within the media community,” warned Edetaen Ojo, MRA’s Executive Director, in the report’s preface.
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Arbitrary arrests and detentions emerged as the primary weapon against journalists and citizens, accounting for 38 cases—over 44 percent of all incidents. Physical violence followed closely, with 21 documented cases of assault and battery representing more than 24 percent of violations.
The report documented two killings during the year: one journalist murdered in the line of duty and a woman killed for alleged blasphemy. Additional cases included one kidnapping and one media outlet shutdown.
The violations spanned 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with Lagos recording the highest number of attacks at 16 incidents, followed by Abuja with 14.
MRA highlighted alarming new trends in press suppression, including the continued “weaponization” of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act of 2015 to target journalists and government critics. Security agencies increasingly deployed digital surveillance tools and spyware to monitor and track journalists.
The report also noted that law enforcement agencies frequently ignored attacks by non-state actors even when officers were present at the scene. Security forces actively participated in brutal suppression of peaceful protests, with journalists often targeted while covering demonstrations.
Perhaps most troubling, the report found that despite numerous criminal acts against journalists, not one case resulted in successful investigation or prosecution of perpetrators throughout 2025.
“Although the media landscape continued to evolve rapidly during the year, shaped largely by developments in digital technologies, the fundamental challenges confronting journalists and media sector remained deeply entrenched,” Ojo noted.
He characterized these challenges as political, legal, economic and social, marked by direct attacks, misuse of regulatory powers, shrinking civic space, harsh economic conditions, and escalating digital threats.
MRA issued urgent recommendations to the Federal Government, calling for prompt, transparent investigations of all attacks against journalists and citizens, with public disclosure of outcomes; clear directives prohibiting security agencies from harassing, intimidating, or arbitrarily arresting journalists and citizens exercising free expression and establishment of a national mechanism for journalist safety in compliance with the UN Plan of Action, including early warning systems and rapid response protocols.
The report comes as Nigeria, a major African democracy, faces increasing international scrutiny over its human rights record and treatment of journalists.
As press freedom organizations sound the alarm, the question remains whether Nigerian authorities will break the “reign of impunity” or allow 2026 to follow the same troubling trajectory.
Crediblenewsng.com
