As the international community marks World Human Rights Day, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have expressed concern about the continuing use of repressive laws, including Cybercrime Act and Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) to intimidate and harass journalists, activists and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
SERAP and NGE therefore called on the Federal Government to immediately ‘release all journalists, activists, and other Nigerians detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights and withdraw charges against them’.
They asked that the authorities should withdraw the SLAPP lawsuit brought against journalists, activists, and civil society organisations, including SERAP.
The authorities were also urged to urgently ‘act to prevent further spurious court cases by security and law enforcement agencies that target journalists, activists, and CSOs and undermine democracy’.
The use of these repressive laws and SLAPP erodes democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law in Nigeria, both bodies pointed out. They also frowned at the use of repressive laws and SLAPP to crackdown on peaceful dissent is entirely inconsistent with the Nigerian 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the country’s international human rights obligations.
In a statement on Wednesday by SERAP’s Deputy Director General Secretary, Mr. Kolawole Oluwadare; and NGE’s General Secretary, Mr. Onuoha Ukeh, the bodies said that security agencies, acting for state and non-state actors, have weaponised the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act 2024, using provisions of Section 24 on cyberstalking to intimidate and harass journalists, activists, and CSOs, who are exercising their human rights to press freedom and freedom of expression.
The statement further read: ‘The restrictions on civic space, human rights violations and suppression of the press in recent times take various forms, ranging from extrajudicial to unlawful arrest, detentions, malicious prosecutions and wrongful use of both legislation and law enforcement’.
They listed several instances: ‘In August 2024 alone, at least 56 journalists were assaulted or arrested while covering demonstrations across the country.
‘According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Nigeria has dropped 10 spots to 122nd in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index.
‘The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development Press Attack Tracker indicated that there were 110 verified attacks in the year 2024. In comparison to the previous year, the press attacks between the first and third quarter of 2024 surpassed those of the entire year in 2023.
‘The Committee to Protect Journalists stated that at least three journalists in Nigeria have been detained since August 2025 on allegations of violating the country’s Cybercrime Act, despite the recent reform of the law — highlighting the continuing use of the law and defamation laws to target and harass journalists and activists.
‘An investigative journalist and publisher of privately-owned Secret Reporters news outlet, Tega Gobernadora (known under the pen name, Fejiro Oliver), has been behind bars since 18 September 2025 over charges of cyberbullying. The police arrested him at his office in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, and flew him to Asaba, the capital of Delta State.
‘In August this year, Azuka Francisca Ogujiuba, publisher of the privately owned Media Room Hub news site, was arrested twice in Abuja for publishing a court injunction related to a disputed land sale.
‘The first time, she was held for five hours; the second time, for three days. Police searched and seized her phone for five days.
‘On 11 August, she was released after interventions from friends, taking down the article, and writing an apology.
‘On 9 September, police in Ekiti State detained Sodeeq Atanda, a reporter with the privately owned Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), on allegations of cyberbullying, criminal defamation, conspiracy, blackmail, and malicious misrepresentation.
‘Atanda, as a law-abiding citizen, honoured an invitation from the police, following a complaint by a university vice-chancellor over FIJs on sexual harassment. He was reportedly detained for 11 hours, then freed without charge after multiple calls for his release.
‘The Federal Government recently charged Sahara Reporters publisher and activist, Omoyele Sowore alongside X and Facebook owners over Mr. Sowores recent alleged anti-Tinubu posts on the social media platforms.
‘Two of the counts are brought under the Cybercrimes Act while the other three charges of criminal defamation, causing public fear and disturbance are brought under the Criminal Code Act.
‘The suit dated 16 September,2025, was lodged at the Federal High Court in Abuja after Sowore allegedly refused to delete certain posts allegedly critical of President Tinubu. The charges were brought on behalf of the DSS (Department of State Security) and the Federal Government by the Director of Public Prosecutions at the Ministry of Justice.
‘The DSS in May 2025 also filed a SLAPP lawsuit against Prof. Pat Utomi, a former presidential candidate, accusing him of attempting to illegally usurp President Bola Tinubu’s executive powers by setting up a shadow government.
‘In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/937/2025, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the DSS alleged that Utomis actions posed a threat to national security and constitutional order. The 2007 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress was named as the sole defendant in the suit.
‘DSS operatives in October 2024 also filed a SLAPP lawsuit against SERAP over allegations of an unauthorised office invasion.
‘These cases illustrate the ongoing harassment, intimidation and misuse of laws and judicial processes in Nigeria to stifle the peaceful activities of journalists, activists, and CSOs and curtail the exercise of free expression across the country.
‘Nigerian authorities did these despite the fact that a lawsuit challenging the legality and compatibility of some provisions of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act 2024 with the rights to freedom of expression and information, is pending before the ECOWAS (Economic Communality of West African States) Court.
‘For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of section 24 of the Cybercrime Act 2024 are inconsistent with the provisions of section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.
‘We are concerned that Nigerian authorities at all levels and other actors continue to use repressive laws and misuse the judicial processes to normalize repression of the rights of journalists, human rights defenders, activists, opposition politicians, artistes and other Nigerians.
‘We are also concerned about the persistence of threats to journalists safety, and the potential chilling effect of SLAPPs and harassment, including by security agencies and politicians.
‘Journalists, human rights defenders and activists play an indispensable role in documenting, reporting on human rights violations and deepening of democracy.
‘Trying to suppress them has far-reaching negative consequences, including the erosion of democracy, increased corruption, the spread of misinformation, and human rights violations. No nation will progress under such conditions.
‘Impunity for those who threaten, intimidate and harass journalists, human rights defenders and activists contributes to the hostile environment for these defenders of constitutionally and internationally guaranteed human rights in Nigeria.
‘Criminal defamation and SLAPPs are neither necessary nor proportionate under the Nigerian Constitution and human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party.
‘Such lawsuits generate a chilling effect that inhibits the enjoyment of human rights and circulation of ideas and information.
‘We are, once again, calling on the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s state governors, lawmakers and other actors to immediately stop intimidation and harassment of journalists, activists, and civil society organizations (CSOs) and people with alternative viewpoints.
‘We therefore call on the Nigerian authorities to immediately release all journalists, activists, and other Nigerians detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights and withdraw charges against them.
‘We asked that Nigerian authorities should withdraw the SLAPP lawsuit brought against journalists, activists, and civil society organizations including SERAP.
‘To uphold their obligations under the Nigerian Constitution and human rights treaties to which the country is a state party, Nigerian authorities should urgently act to prevent further spurious court cases by security and law enforcement agencies that target journalists, activists, and CSOs and undermine democracy.
‘Nigerian authorities should protect journalists, activists, and civil society organizations from SLAPP lawsuits and other abusive litigation aimed at curtailing the peaceful exercise of press freedom and human rights in the country.
‘Nigerian authorities must ensure that defamation are not used as a tool to undermine legitimate rights and freedoms of affected rights holders, civil society organizations and human rights defenders.
‘We urge President Tinubu and the Federal Government to publicly call on state governors, the Nigerian Police Force, and the DSS to uphold and ensure full respect for the rights of everyone in the country, including journalists, human rights defenders and activists.
‘We call on President Tinubu and the Federal Government, the country’s 36 governors and Federal Capital Territory minister to genuinely uphold human rights, press freedom, ensure access to information to all Nigerians, obey court judgments, and respect the rule of law.
‘We urge the National Assembly to promptly and comprehensively review the Cybercrimes Act and other restrictive legislation, and revise them as appropriate to bring them into line with Nigeria’s international human rights obligations and commitments regarding human rights and media freedom.
‘We urge the international community to hold Nigerian authorities to account for violations of human rights in the country, including by calling on the authorities at both the federal and state levels to immediately and unconditionally release anyone detained solely for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights’.
