The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos, Nigeria, has presented detailed documentaries of attacks on journalists carrying out their professional duties during the #EndSars protests and the global COVID-19 pandemic in parts of Nigeria.

In his speech at the event which held on Wednesday at the Sheraton Hotels, Abuja, the Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade noted that the objective of revisiting the past, is to draw necessary lessons to avoid a repeat and chart a better course for journalism in Nigeria.

Consequently, he explained, beyond the airing of the documentaries, we are also gathered for a stimulating roundtable discussion on protection for journalists as frontline workers during crisis and emergency periods.

The IPC launched two documentaries on attacks on journalists and media workers during the COVID-19 lockdown as well as the #EndSARS protests in Nigeria.

The documentaries titled ‘Voices From COVID-19 Frontlines’, and ‘Voices From #EndSARS Frontlines’, focused on the harassment, intimidation and injuries against journalists during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown as well as arson attacks on media outlets during #EndSARS.

In attendance were some of the journalists that suffered the attacks, who were part of a powerful roundtable of professional media bodies, security agencies and Civil Society Organisations to profer a way out of the recurring problem.

The Public presentation of documentaries on attacks on journalists and roundtable on protection of journalists as Frontline workers was part of activities by the IPC to mark the 2022 World Press Freedom Day celebration.

The World Press Freedom Day, is globally marked on May 3.

Arogundade explained that “While not unmindful of the theme of this year’s celebration – ‘Journalism Under Digital Siege’ – we have on this occasion focusing our attention on another dimension of the siege to which journalism and the media are subjected in Nigeria.

“This other dimension has to do with the lack of protection for journalists when by the nature of their professional calling, they become front liners during moments of national crisis or public emergency.

“Whenever these situations arise and journalists brave the odds by throwing themselves into the mesh, they do so not out of undue adventurism, but because they are the societal watchdog who have the obligation to provide credible information to citizens.

“Journalists and other media professionals also do so because they need to gather information which the government can rely upon to make desired interventions to resolve the crisis or bring the emergency under control.

“Furthermore, journalists and other media professionals take such actions because they want to observe and report on the management by state institutions in line with the constitutional obligation to monitor governance and hold government accountable to the people”, he said.

According to Mr. Arogundade, the summary is that in their coverage and reportage of crisis and emergency situations, journalists and other media professionals perform multiple roles or functions including but not limited to Disseminating reliable information, Providing voices for parties to the conflict, Helping to resolve issues in the conflict, and Holding duty bearers accountable.

“Unfortunately, despite these weighty responsibilities, journalists and other media professionals who find themselves on the frontlines get molested and harassed.

“Such has been the case that in our documentation of attacks on journalists as reported during the World Press Freedom Day 2021, we provided statistics on attacks on journalists and media outlets during the Covid-19 lockdown and the #EndSars protests by youths in the year 2020.

“Those statistics and others emanating from other incidents demonstrate why Nigeria continues to rate poorly in the World Press Freedom Index, with the country occupying an unenviable position of 120 in the year 2021, thus suggesting that some of the worst violations of journalists and media rights take place here.

“While interacting with some of the journalists assaulted during the Covid-19 lockdown and #EndSars, however, we discovered that statistics alone cannot tell the full stories of their ordeal including the immediate and later effects on their physical and mental well being. Neither did the figures tell the full story of their losses.

“This discovery made us to conclude that we need to document the experiences of these journalists and other media professionals for the purpose of capturing in greater detail what really transpired and sensitise relevant stakeholders on the need to put a halt to such unwelcome trends”, Mr. Arogundade said as he threw more light on history behind the twin event.

“We are therefore gathered for the public presentation of a documentary, and a publication on attacks on journalists and other media professionals and workers during the Covid-19 lockdown titled ‘Voices From Covid-19 Frontlines ‘.

“The other documentary focuses on the molestation of journalists and arson attacks on media outlets during #EndSars and it is titled: ‘Voices From #EndSars Frontlines’.

“IPC salutes the courage of the journalists who were affected and who have decided not to keep silent in the face of tyranny, and who commendably, have opted to tell their stories for the Nigerian public and the global freedom of expression community to have a deeper insight into the landmines they stepped on with dire consequences; and which still lay on the path of journalists in the course of legitimate duty.

“We appreciate and commend their bravery in going to what can be likened to the war fronts to bring information to the people. It is hoped that by speaking out loudly and boldly, they would be able to get the desired justice.

“Some of these journalists are here and may I at this juncture request that we appreciate them as I recognise them”, the Executive Director of IPC said.

On the keynote speaker, Dr. Kole Shettima, Director of MacArthur Foundation, Mr. Arogundade said, has “always shown concern about matters of media protection and civic rights.

“Permit me to extend our heart of gratitude to the International Freedom of Exchange (IFEX), the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Foundation, Ford Foundation, Luminate and OSIWA for providing IPC with the resources that have made the documentations and this event possible”, Mr. Arogundade said.

In his keynote address, Dr. Shettima noted that without a functional and independent media, there cannot be a functional democracy.

“Nigeria’s philanthropic landscape is not likely to support independent media”, noting that “infrastructure to make media function in Nigeria is difficult.

“We need to think of how to encourage infrastructure that will help the media function”, Dr. Shettima said.

The President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Chris Isiguzo, emphasized that to have a country that works and for democracy to remain effective and working, journalists must be allowed to ply their trade without unnecessary encumbrances.

Isiguzo who faulted the Nigerian 1999 Constitution (as amended), which gave responsibility to the journalists to hold government accountable, lamented that there is no single provision in the constitution on protection of Journalists in the course of executing the constitutional responsibility.

Mr. Isiguzo added that the environment Nigerian journalists operate has remained unfriendly.

He urged state actors and the public to see the journalists as partners in the Nigerian project as against rivals to ensure that they all work together to build a better country.

On his part, the Representative of the Inspector General of Police, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) AI-Mustapha Sani, said the Police see Journalists as ‘their best friend’, adding that there is need for more professionalism to interact with one another.

He urged the journalists to play their part in educating the populace, so as to ensure that more genuine candidates join the police to ensure proper protection for all.

The participants, especially some journalists featured in the two documentaries called for better synergy between the security agencies and journalists.

They urged the security agencies to reorient their personnel to know that journalists are also doing their jobs.

They therefore harped on the need for legal protection of journalists in the course of their constitutionally guaranteed responsibilities.