PRESS-GAGGING: Nigerian Journalists & Media Personalities Who Have Either Disappeared or Are On Exile Due To Nigerian Authorities’ High-Handedness & Persecution.
Nigeria is one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists, who are regularly monitored, attacked and arbitrarily arrested. According to the 2023 World Press Freedom Index complied by Reporters Without Barriers (BRF) Nigeria ranks 123 out of 180 countries.
In recent years, most of West Africa’s violent attacks, arbitrary detentions, and shooting deaths of journalists have taken place in Nigeria, especially during the country’s electoral periods. Nearly 20 journalists and media outlets were attacked during the general elections in February and March 2023.
Crimes committed against journalists continue to go unpunished, even when the perpetrators are known or apprehended. There is almost no state mechanism for protection. In fact, the authorities keep journalists under close surveillance and do not hesitate to threaten, abduct, and torture or even go the extreme route of taking them out.
From as far back as the 80’s when renowned journalist, Dele Giwa was killed after receiving and opening a parcel which turned out to be a bomb till this moment in 2024 where government critiques & whistleblowers like PIDOM have been targeted, journalists have been hunted like game in Nigeria. This has led to many Nigerian journalists fleeing the country to safer countries where freedom of the press is relatively and more significantly guaranteed.
In this report, we’ll take a look at Nigerian journalists and media personalities who have either mysteriously disappeared or fled the country for their safety.
1. David Hundeyin – Founder & Editor-In-Chief, West Africa Weekly.
David Hundeyin is a highly celebrated investigative investigative journalist from Lagos Nigeria. Lauded for his accurate reporting and exposure of high level government scandals like the Nigeria Air scam and the thwarted Nigeria military invasion of neighbouring Niger which would have led to a huge instability between the two nations, Hundeyin was declared a person of interest by the Nigeria authorities after revealing so many of such top tier corruption & fraud and thus had to flee for safety.
2. Omoyele Sowore – Founder, Sahara Reporters
Sowore is the founder of US based Sahara Reporters, a media organization that has exposed many high level government corruption and misappropriation of funds amongst other vices. Sowore was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Service for convening the #RevolutionNow protest slated for August 5 of the same year. He was later charged for treasonable felony among others and was released on December 24, 2019. The case against him was finally thrown out in February 2024 after which he departed for the US after 5 years of being restricted within Nigeria and unable to see his family who live in the US.
3. Nnamdi Ibezim – Founder, Reportera News
In December 2021, Nnamdi decided to start up a media company with the sole aim of cleansing the Nigerian & African media space which had for a long time been highly polarised politically and used as just propaganda machinery rather than a reputable and trustworthy source of news.
The emergence of this channel coincided with pre-election discussions ahead of Nigeria’s February 2023 presidential & general elections, and there was a need for credible and independent journalism devoid of political manipulations, one which Nnamdi was keen on bridging. Reeling out stats backed by properly researched data week after week, Nnamdi’s new platform published independent polls that predicted the outcome of the elections and further insights on voter demographics, one that didn’t favour the ruling party, APC. It quickly rose through the ranks to be one of the most sought after channels especially amongst young Nigerians on social media who needed a trusted go-to place for verified news.
On August 6th 2023, Nnamdi’s platform reported on a viral news regarding the 2023 presidential election tribunal that prompted the Nigeria Police to go after him and his organization unlawfully which culminated in the abduction of his brother who had nothing to do with the organization; he was subsequently unlawfully detained for 78 days (without trial or filing any charges against him). Nnamdi managed to escape and is currently on exile.
4. Obianuju Catherine Udeh (DJ Switch) – Media Personality
DJ Switch is a popular Nigerian artiste whose life changed on the 20th of October 2020 following the Nigeria Army shootings at the #ENDSARS Lekki tollgate protesters. DJ Switch who was on the scene had encouraged her followers to come out to join in the protest against the now disbanded SARS notorious for their extrajudicial killings and abuse of power. On this fateful day, DJ Switch made a live recording of the mayhem and even gathered bullet shells as she and other Nigerians fled the scene. This would later turn out to be an important piece of evidence as the Nigerian Army and the Lagos state government had denied the shooting of peaceful protesters. Amidst the tussle, she fled Nigeria to Canada where she now lives as a protected person.
5. Idris Abubakar (Dadiyata) – Media Personality (Disappeared)
Idris Abubakar popularly known as Dadiyata is a social commentator and strong critique of the federal and Kaduna state governments. He was abducted from his home in Kaduna, North-West Nigeria on 2nd August 2019 by unidentified men at the entrance of his home, and till date, neither his whereabouts nor the identity of his abductors is known.
6. Ohimai Amaize – AIT Reporter/Presenter
Amaize is a Nigerian journalist with a multi-sectoral background that spans anti-corruption, youth advocacy, civil society, political campaigns, brand development, communications strategy and governance. He was producer and anchor of Kakaaki Social – a popular social media news program on Africa Independent Television (AIT).
In June 2019, Amaize fled Nigeria to exile in the United States following threats of arrest for treason by the Nigerian government for his journalistic work as a TV anchor. In January 2020, he was granted asylum in the United States.
7. Isioma Daniel – Newspaper Journalist
Isioma Daniel is a Nigerian journalist whose 2002 newspaper article comment involving the Islamic prophet Muhammad sparked the Miss World riots and caused a fatwa to be issued on her life. She ultimately had to flee the country because of jihadists. Isioma Daniel eventually went into exile in Europe, with her resettlement guided by the Committee to Protect Journalists and Amnesty International.
8. PIDOM (Disappeared)… Later realized he was abducted by the Police in his hotel room.
PIDOM is an anonymous human rights activist and crusader for positive change, but more significantly (and interestingly), they were a thorn in the flesh of the Nigerian government. PIDOM’s was well known was releasing documents that exposed the magnitude of corruption and systemic maladministration in not just the presidency, but the military and other top government agencies.
9. Jaafar Jaafar – Journalist & Founder, Daily Nigerian
Jaafar is a Nigerian journalist and Newspaper publisher from Kano state, Nigeria. In 2018, he released a video which showed the then governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje allegedly taking bribes in US Dollars believed to be kickbacks from contractors handling various projects awarded by the Kano State Government.
In the face of the renewed threats from Ganduje’s camp, the journalist wrote a petition to the Inspector General of Police. This didn’t help as several attempts were made to arrest him by the police who he had run to for succour.
Jaafar would later flee Nigeria to the United Kingdom in 2021 where he has lived under British protection till date.
– Reportera
And many more….. There are many unreported cases… These are few popular ones that got the public attention… This is DEMOCRACY?