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By John Ogunsemore
Amnesty International Nigeria has condemned the arrest of investigative reporter, Ahmed Isa Sakpe, by police in Niger State over alleged cyber bullying.
In a statement published on Facebook on Tuesday, the rights group said Sakpe was arrested on the alleged orders of an official of Niger state government on trumped-up accusations of ‘cyber bullying,’ simply for doing his job.
It described the arrest as “unlawful”.
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The group said, “Niger state government and the Nigeria police must uphold their obligation to respect and facilitate everyone’s right to freedom of expression.
“It is contrary to both the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights standards to intimidate, harass, threaten or punish journalists solely for carrying out their professional duties.
“A free, uncensored and unhindered press is essential in any society — to ensure freedom of expression.”
Amnesty urged President Bola Tinubu’s government to give a clear directive to security and law enforcement agencies to refrain from harassing or targeting critical journalists and independent media outlets.
