In what comes as a shocking development, the Nigerian Government is taking steps to appeal the judgment directing it to investigate attacks on journalists.
Nearly two years after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Federal Government to investigate, prosecute, and punish perpetrators of attacks against journalists and to take steps to prevent further violations, the government has now approached the appellate court to demand an extension of time to appeal the judgment.
In a motion filed on December 23, 2025, by Mr. A.B. Mohammed of the Federal Ministry of Justice on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the government requested that the Court of Appeal grant permission to appeal the judgment of Justice Inyang Ekwo delivered on February 16, 2024. The request comes more than 22 months after the three-month statutory period for lodging appeals, as prescribed by Section 24(2)(a) of the Court of Appeal Act, 2004 (as amended), had already lapsed.
The judgment arose from a suit filed by Media Rights Agenda (MRA) through human rights lawyer Mrs. Mojirayo Ogunlana-Nkanga on October 26, 2021. The suit highlighted the repeated violations of journalists’ fundamental rights to life and freedom of expression, citing cases of murders and attacks on media practitioners over several decades, coupled with the government’s failure to investigate or hold perpetrators accountable.
MRA named some of the murdered journalists as the late Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine, Mr. Dele Giwa, who was killed on October 19, 1986 by a parcel bomb in his home in Lagos; Ms Bolade Fasasi, a member of the National Association of Women Journalists and former treasurer of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), who was shot dead by three unidentified gunmen in Ibadan on March 31, 1998; Mr. Edward Olalekan Ayo-Ojo, who was found dead beside his car on a road in Lagos in the early hours of June 1, 1999; and Mr. Omololu Falobi, a former features editor of The Punch and founder of the media advocacy group, Journalists Against AIDS (JAIDS), who was gunned down in Lagos on October 5, 2006, on his way home from his office.
Other journalists identified by MRA are Mr. Godwin Agbroko, Chairman of the Editorial Board of This Day newspaper, who was murdered by unknown gunmen on December 22, 2006; Mr. Abayomi Ogundeji, a member of the Editorial Board of This Day newspaper, who was shot dead on August 17, 2008; and Mr. Edo Sule-Ugbagwu, Judicial Correspondent of The Nation newspaper, who was murdered in his home in Lagos by a gang of armed men on April 24, 2010.
In his ruling, Justice Ekwo affirmed that journalism is a constitutionally protected profession under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution. He granted eight declaratory reliefs requested by MRA, directing the Federal Government to take measures to prevent attacks on journalists and other media practitioners; investigate, prosecute, and punish perpetrators of all attacks against journalists; and ensure that all victims of attacks against journalists have access to effective remedies. He ordered the government to take measures to raise awareness and build the capacities of various stakeholders, including law enforcement, security, intelligence, military and other officials on the laws and standards for ensuring the safety of journalists and media practitioners.
In the current motion, the government claims it is “desirous to appeal” the judgment, citing errors in Justice Ekwo’s ruling, though it does not explain why it was delayed for nearly two years before seeking to appeal. Supporting the motion, Mr. Kelechi Ohaeri, a litigation officer at the Ministry of Justice, said the proposed notice of appeal has been prepared and that the grounds are “recondite.”
Mr. Mohammed, in a written address, argued that the government discovered errors upon reviewing the judgment and seeks to exercise its constitutional right of appeal under Section 243 of the 1999 Constitution.
No date has yet been set for the hearing of the government’s motion before the Court of Appeal.