The Media Right Agenda (MRA) has demanded that the Nigerian Government establish a specialized team of prosecutors to facilitate the effective investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of crimes against journalists and other media workers.
The demand was made by MRA’sProgramme Director, Mr. Ayode Longe while speaking at the Press conference organized by the organziation to commemorate the 2022 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.
Longe explained that Nigeria has not taken any concrete action to stem the spate of attacks against journalists and the media.
Longe charged “Government at all level should live up to their responsibility to investigate all attacks against journalists as well as prosecute and punish the perpetrators of such attacks.”
He also recommended that the “Federal government should fully implement the Anti-Torture Act 2017 and enlighten law enforcement agencies and the general public on torture and the provisions of the Act.”
The Head of Legal Department of MRA, Ms. Obioma Okonkwo shared that an attack against a journalist is an attack against the media as a whole adding that “if we keep quiet and fold our arms, more harm will be done.”