The Centre for Info Know-how and Improvement, CITAD, has condemned the arrest and continued detention of journalist Ibrahim Ishaq Danuwa Rano, calling for his immediate and unconditional release.
Danuwa, who’s the founder of Danuwa Rano TV, was reportedly arrested by cops from Zone One Command in Kano over an internet audio commentary.
Within the audio, he allegedly accused a authorities official of gathering cash from individuals searching for to fulfill the state governor.
Based on CITAD, the journalist didn’t point out any names within the commentary, but it surely was later alleged that the Director-Common of Protocol to the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, filed a criticism that led to his arrest.
In an announcement signed by Government Director, Y.Z. Ya’u on Sunday, the group described the arrest as an act of intimidation and abuse of energy geared toward silencing journalists and shrinking civic area in Nigeria.
“This motion by the police just isn’t solely unjust however a harmful signal of intolerance in the direction of free expression and accountability,” CITAD mentioned.
“Freedom of expression and media independence are protected by the Nigerian Structure and worldwide human rights charters, and should not be violated below any guise.”
The group mentioned the police must be a protector of rights, not an instrument of oppression, stressing that arresting a journalist for doing his job undermines democracy and discourages investigative reporting.
“We name on the Nigeria Police Pressure and the Kano State Authorities to release Ibrahim Danuwa Rano with out situations and to cease harassing journalists who communicate fact to energy,” the assertion added.
CITAD additionally urged civil society organizations, media teams, and human rights defenders to face collectively in opposition to the rising suppression of press freedom within the nation.
“A society that silences its journalists denies its residents entry to fact and accountability,” Ya’u mentioned.
The group reaffirmed its dedication to defending digital rights, freedom of expression, and the protection of journalists in Nigeria, promising to proceed talking out in opposition to repression and censorship.
