Seven people, including six journalists, were arrested by the judicial police in Niamey on October 30, 2025, in connection with the leak of an official invitation to a government press briefing. The arrests have deepened concern over the worsening climate for press freedom in Niger.
Those arrested include Moussa Kaka, owner of Radiotélévision Saraounia, and his driver, along with Souleymane Brah, a freelance investigative journalist, and Abdoul Aziz, a journalist with Saraounia. The four were released on the evening of November 1.
Three others, however, remain in detention at Kollo Prison in Niamey following a hearing at the High Court on November 3. They are Omar Kané, editor-in-chief of Le Hérisson newspaper; Issoufou Seriba, editor-in-chief of the Les Échos group; and Ibro Chaibou, editor-in-chief of Saraounia.
According to reports, the journalists are being prosecuted for “complicity in disseminating a document likely to disturb public order,” a charge brought under Niger’s Cybercrime Law. The alleged offence stems from the circulation of an official invitation to a press briefing about the Solidarity Fund for the Protection of the Homeland: a public fund established by the military authorities to collect citizen donations in support of national defence.
The invitation, originally sent to Saraounia TV, appeared online and was later shared by activists. If convicted of the charge against them, the journalists face up to five years in prison and fines ranging from two to five million CFA francs (USD 3,200 – 8,000).
Kané, Brah, and Seriba co-host Club de la Presse, a popular current affairs programme on Saraounia TV. The show is among the few remaining platforms for open debate on national issues since several other programmes, including Presse Plus on Bonferey TV, were discontinued. Chaibou, who also serves as Saraounia’s editorial secretary, is the programme’s presenter.
These arrests form part of a growing pattern of intimidation and censorship targeting independent media in Niger since the July 2023 coup. Journalists and outlets critical of the authorities have faced increasing harassment, suspensions, and threats.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Ibro Chaibou, Youssouf Seriba, and Oumare Kané, and urges Nigerien authorities to drop all charges against the journalists. Publishing or sharing an invitation to a public event is not a crime. The continued misuse of the Cybercrime Law to criminalise journalism undermines Niger’s international and national commitments to protect freedom of expression and press independence.
