The Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC) has condemned the arrest and detention of its Human Rights Journalist and investigative reporter, Ahmed Isa Sakpe, by the Niger State Police Command in Minna, describing the action as an attack on press freedom.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, WAMAC alleged that Sakpe was arrested on the orders of Governor Umar Bago’s protocol officer, B. Y. Daban, over allegations of cyberbullying.
The organisation claimed the charges were “trumped-up” and aimed at silencing the journalist for carrying out his professional duties.
“We are appalled and outraged by the brazen arrest and detention of our Human Rights Journalist and Investigative Reporter, Ahmed Isa Sakpe, in Minna,” the statement read. “He was picked up by the Niger State Police Command on the orders of the Governor’s protocol officer on allegations of cyberbullying, simply for doing his job as a journalist.”
WAMAC described the incident as a reflection of what it termed the Niger State Government’s disregard for press freedom.
“This latest incident is a stark reminder of the government’s blatant disregard for press freedom and its penchant for using state machinery and security agencies to harass, intimidate and silence journalists,” the group stated. “The actions of the protocol officer and the police amount to a gross abuse of power and a clear attempt to muzzle the voice of the people.”
The centre further alleged that the arrest was part of a broader pattern of suppressing investigative journalism and dissenting voices in the state.
“We view this as a deliberate and calculated effort to suppress investigative journalism and stifle dissenting voices in Niger State. These actions are reminiscent of the dark days of military rule, when journalists were routinely harassed and detained for speaking truth to power,” the statement added.
WAMAC also referenced previous actions by the International Press Institute (IPI), claiming that the body had earlier blacklisted the Niger State Government over similar incidents.
“The continued disregard for press freedom and human rights is a worrying trend that must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” it said.
The organisation called for Sakpe’s immediate release and urged rights groups, including Amnesty International, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, and the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters, to intervene.
“The people of Niger State deserve to be informed, and it is the duty of journalists to hold those in power accountable. We will not be silenced,” the statement concluded.
As of the time of filing this report, the Niger State Government and the police command had yet to issue an official response to the allegations.
