NIGERIA: Political conviction of Journalists attack on civic space, unacceptable – CISLAC

*As civil society group flays Buhari’s economic adviser

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

A civil society group in Nigeria, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), has reacted to what it describes as unacceptable conviction of two journalists in the country for exposing legalisation of Indian Hemp by a company linked to a presidential adviser.

In a statement sent to The DEFENDER on Saturday, Mallam Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), Executive Director of CISLAC/TI-Nigeria, communicated the group’s displeasure with the development.

Rafsanji said, “Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), in strong terms, condemned the conviction of two Nigerian journalists, Gidado Yushau and Alfred Olufemi on conspiracy and defamation charges.

“The journalists were in 2019 arrested and arraigned over a publication, “Inside a Kwara factory where Indian Hemp is legalised” critical of activities at Hillcrest Agro-Allied company, which is linked to President Muhammadu Buhari’s Economic Adviser, Sarah Alade.

“The said article was published in the News Digest publication in the 2018 edition.

“However, it is saddening that despite the testimony of an ex-employee inducting the company and a lot of infractions by the police, the Magistrate Court still convicted the duo of criminal conspiracy and defamation by the court on February 7, 2023

“CISLAC, an independent, non-profit organisation, describes this as an inglorious attempt to muzzle the press and investigative journalism in Nigeria, which is unacceptable.

“We also demand that an urgent step be taken to reform the country’s laws and ensure journalism is not criminalised like it. International human rights courts and UN bodies have repeatedly ruled against criminal sanctions for defamation.

“The country has a robust judicial system for determining civil suits and whoever is aggrieved by what others have written about them is always welcomed to sue them for damages in a civil court.

“It’s a waste of taxpayers’ money when public funds are used in prosecuting cases of personal interests such as this. It is no coincidence that press freedom has continually waned under President Muhammadu Buhari. Nigeria dropped to 129 from 120 in the 2022 ranking of press freedom across 180 countries.

“We implore the President, whose adviser is involved in this, to do our justice system the honour to champion the necessary reforms,” he said.