Police in Benin have used tear gas to disperse a group of university students who were organising a general assembly and a press conference at a hotel.
On February 17, 2017, hundreds of students from the University of d’Abomey-Calavi gathered at the Hotel Le Refuge in the city of Abomey-Calavi for a general assembly and a press conference.
The meeting according to the president of the student group l’Union Nationale des Scolaires et Étudiants du Bénin (UNSEB) Prince Boris Ake, was to “make revelations” and “expose records about the university authorities.”
According to the MFWA correspondent in Benin, the students decided to hold the event at the hotel because of the ban in place on campus. In October 2016, the government banned all protest activities of student unions on the campuses of all four public universities in the country. The decision followed riots on the campus of the University of d’Abomey-Calavi by students protesting what they termed draconian administrative measures.
With the ban still in place, the students decided to hold their meeting at the hotel but were however shocked when some police officers arrived to try to dissuade them from proceeding with the event. When the persuasion failed, the police went away, only to return in full riot gear to disperse the students with tear gas. A number of students were reportedly injured in the ensuing melee.
The MFWA finds the Beninois authorities’ intolerance of public protests disturbing. The attack on students of the University of d’Abomey-Calavi is unwarranted and a blatant assault on freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly and association. The students respected the ban and decided to hold their meeting off campus, it is therefore inconceivable how police went to the hotel and tear-gassed them. We urge the authorities in Benin to investigate this incident and ensure the police who abused the rights of the students are held accountable. We also urge President Patrice Talon to call the police to order and allow the students to freely exercise their rights.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and its national partner in Togo, Institut des Médias pour la Démocratie et les Droits de l’Homme (IM2DH) have jointly petitioned the Director General of the Togolese Gendarmerie over the assault of a journalist by a group of gendarmes.
The victim, Robert Kossi Avotor of the L’Alternative bi-weekly newspaper, had gone to report on an eviction exercise at Akatoviépé, a suburb of Lomé on February 7, 2017 when he was brutalized.
Following the incident, the MFWA and IM2DH on February 16, 2017 sent a joint petition to the head of the Gendarmerie in Togo calling for an investigation into the matter and subsequent sanctions against the culprits.
“We condemn this kind of violence, which is an attack on freedom of expression and on the journalist’s right to freely exercise his profession. We call on the authorities of the national gendarmerie to carry out a thorough inquiry into the matter and ensure that the perpetrators of these acts of abuse get punished in accordance with the applicable laws in Togo,” the petition said.
The petition also urged the Ministry of Defense and the Director General of the national gendarmerie to protect and guarantee the security of Avotor.
Six journalists detained on February 12, 2017 for reporting on a recent mutiny by Ivoirian soldiers, have been released.
Coulibaly Vamara and Hamadou Ziao of Inter newspaper; Bamba Franck Mamadou of Notre Voie; Gbané Yacouba and Ferdinand Bailly of Le Temps and Jean Bédel Gnago of Soir Info regained provisional freedom on February 14, after spending 48 hours in detention.
Announcing the journalists’ release to the Agence Frace Presse(AFP), Guillaume Gbato, a leading member of le Syndicat de la presse privée en Côte d’Ivoire, the umbrella organisation of the private press in the country, said the six journalists, are however still under “charges of undermining state security and inciting soldiers to acts of insubordination and rebellion.” He added that “there is some relief, but we are calling for all the charges pressed against our colleagues to be dropped.”
Many media organisations, both national and international, protested against the arrests which they consider as a blatant attack on media freedom.
The MFWA welcomes the release of the six journalists and urge the authorities to discontinue their prosecution
Six journalists from four media houses accused of publishing false news and inciting soldiers to mutiny, have been arrested and detained by the Gendarmerie in Cote d’Ivoire.
The six have been in custody since February 12, 2017. They are Coulibaly Vamara and Hamadou Ziao, of the Inter newspaper; Bamba Franck Mamadou, of Notre Voie; Gbané Yacouba and Ferdinand Bailly of Le Temps as well as Jean Bédel Gnago, the correspondent of Soir Info at Aboiso.
The publications for which the journalists were arrested alleged that the government had paid allowances being demanded by mutinous soldiers at Adiake, a claim that the Attorney General, Adou Richard Christophe, judged to be a “breach of national security.”
They were interrogated at the national headquarters of the Gendarmerie and later taken into detention at the Gendarmerie Camp at Agban in Abidjan.
The arrests have alarmed the media in Cote d’Ivoire. The national Union of Media Professionals in Cote d’Ivoire, Syndicat National des Professionnels de la Presse de Côte d’Ivoire (SYNAPPCI), has condemned the action of the gendarmes and the Attorney General and called for the immediate release of the journalists.
Over the past one month, soldiers have staged several protests in Abidjan, Yamoussoukro, Man, Bondoukou, Daloa, Bouaké and Odienné to demand pay rise and better living conditions.
The agitations within the army began before the said newspaper publications. The news reports could not, therefore, be said to have incited the riots. The six journalists are thus, being used as scapegoats.
The MFWA wishes to remind the authorities in Cote d’Ivoire about the adoption in August 2016 of the Press Law that excludes ‘imprisonment, keeping in custody and preventive detention for for press offenses.
We call on the government of Cote d’Ivoire to order the release the six journalists from detention and ensure their safety in accordance with its obligations under the above-mentioned law, as well as the regional and international protocols and treaties on freedom of expression which the country has ratified.
On January 23, 2017, moments after President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf had delivered a state of the nation address at the Capitol Building in Monrovia, Nagbe got into an altercation with a Member of Parliament, Moses Kollie. When Mrs. Kemoh tried to enquire from the minister about the cause of the quarrel, he flared up and retorted; “go ask your boyfriend.”
The incident was condemned by media organisations across Liberia with Infinity Broadcasting, Managers of Power TV lodging a formal complaint with the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), Liberia’s umbrella media association.
The minister however rendered an apology to the journalist at a meeting called by the PUL on February 7, 2017, to settle the matter.
“It was anger that drove me to do what I did; I am sorry for there is no justification for my actions,” Minister Nagbe said.
Mr. Nagbe also indicated that he holds the media and the work it does in high esteem.
Mrs. Kemoh told officials of the PUL that she has accepted the minister’s apology.
PUL president, Charles Coffey, told reporters that Mrs. Kemoh has also agreed for the organization to drop its request for the Minister to provide a written apology to Mrs. Kemoh’s family, the PUL and the Female Journalists’ Association of Liberia (FEJAL).
The MFWA welcomes the remorse that the Minister has demonstrated and the forgiving spirit that Mrs. Kemoh has shown. We also commend the PUL for the successful mediation and amicable settlement of the issue. We call on media professionals to remain resolute and assert their rights at all times.
A journalist with the L’Alternative bi-weekly newspaper in Togo was assaulted in the line of duty on February 7, 2017 by a group of gendarmes who later arrested, handcuffed and forced him to delete the pictures he had taken at the scene of a land dispute.
According to the MFWA correspondent in Togo, the journalist, Robert Avotor, was reporting on a land dispute at Akato-Viépé, near the Togo-Ghana boarder, when the incident occurred.
The report says the gendarmes who had gone to enforce an eviction order, asked the curious crowd which had gathered at the scene, to leave. When the crowd disobeyed, the gendarmes threw tear gas to disperse them. As a journalist performing a legitimate and important public duty, Avotor thought the order did not apply to him, so he showed his press card to one of the officers. The officer reported to have retorted that “even with your identification vest, we don’t care.”
Just about that moment, a group of gendarmes arrested a young man and started beating him. As Atovor took out his phone to film the scene, one gendarme started hitting him with his fist. Soon, more gendarmes joined in the assault. The gendarmes handcuffed Atovor with his hands behind, and abused him for two hours, until he urinated on himself. Subsequently, the gendarmes took Avotor away to their post at Sagbado where they forced him to delete the pictures he had taken with his mobile phone, before he was released.
The Management of L’Alternative newspaper have indicated in a press statement that they are considering legal action against the gendarmes, particularly, their leader named, Sub-Lieutenant Esso Salaka, who assaulted their employee.
The incident has been condemned by the media fraternity in Togo. Media watchdogs, Observatoire Togolais des Medias (OTM), Union des Journalists Independants du Togo (UJIT) and Conseil National des patrons de la Presse (CONAPP), condemned the assault in a joint statement.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and its national partner in Togo, l’Institut des Medias pour la Democratie et les Droits de l’Homme (IM2DH) equally decry the unprovoked attack on the journalist who was performing his legitimate duty. We also support the decision of the Management of l’Alternative newspaper to seek legal redress.
January 2017, witnessed a number of major press freedom and freedom of expression developments in West Africa – from a stormy political transition in The Gambia that saw the exit of West Africa’s King of Impunity,’ to a massive crackdown on journalists by Nigerian security forces, and the lifting of media sanctions in Benin.
The most improbable happened in The Gambia where a memorable political drama unfolded climaxing with a momentous end to President Yahya Jammeh’s 22 years of tyranny, brutal human rights violations and agonising culture of silence.
After suffering an unexpected electoral defeat on December 1, 2016, Jammeh, who had been crowned ‘West Africa’s King of Impunity’, for supervising a regime that overtly perpetrated human rights violations, made several attempts to hang on to power. He initially conceded defeat after the declaration of the results but renounced his concession a week later, rejecting the results and calling for fresh polls.
The West Africa inter-governmental body, ECOWAS, backed by the African Union and the UN, insisted Jammeh should respect the verdict of the Gambian people and leave power. Jammeh was eventually compelled to leave power on January 21, when he left for exile in Equatorial Guinea.
President Jammeh’s antagonism towards the media in The Gambia was so pronounce during his 22-year rule. Even after defeat in the polls on December 1, 2016, the ex-President proved he was incurably hostile to press freedom and freedom of expression as he continued with his acts of violations.
On January 9 for example, the licenses of four major radio stations were revoked by the Jammeh regime without explanation. The four affected radio stations, namely Hilltop Radio, Afri Radio, Taranga FM and Paradise FM were the leading local radio stations providing coverage on the political controversy at the time.
Exactly a week after the shutdown of the four local radio stations, seven foreign journalists were deported on January 16 upon their arrival at the main airport in the capital Banjul. The deported journalists were from the regional bureau of CCTV in Kenya, one photojournalist from AFP and two journalists on assignment for the Sweden-based Digital journalism project, Blank Spot.
The MFWA Board in a group photograph with some Gambian media experts after their meeting on January 26, 2017
Already, the new President, Adama Barrow, has promised to undertake major reforms that will ensure respect for the rights of all persons. Addressing the nation on January 26 after his return from Senegal, where he had been sworn in while Jammeh was still hanging on to power, Mr. Barrow said he would ensure press freedom in the country.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has already held discussions with Gambian media leaders and experts on challenges facing the media, status of impunity for crimes against journalists under the Jammeh regime and how to confront those media challenges in the Post-Jammeh era.
Press Freedom Comes Under Siege in Nigeria
In January, the police in Nigeria, on different occasions arrested and detained a number of journalists prompting public outrage and petitions to President Muhammadu Buhari urging him to help bring the situation under control.
On January 5, police in the Southern state of Akwa Ibom arrested, Nsibiet John, a journalist with a local newspaper, The Ink. The journalist was kept in police cell overnight before he was arranged before a Magistrates’ Court on charges of criminal defamation and sedition. He was subsequently granted bail to reappear before the Court on February 13.
On January 6, another journalist in the same state, Jerry Edoho, was arrested by police and detained for three days in detention at the Forces Headquarters in Abuja. He was accused of a false publication on Facebook. The journalist was subsequently granted bail on January 9.
A week later on January 13, police arrested Desmond Utomwen, publisher of FreshNews, an online journal, following a defamation complaint by a custom official. The police also seized files, the publisher’s laptop and his mobile phone, before taking him away to the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, in the federal capital, Abuja, for questioning. He was released later in the day.
On January 19, police in Abuja, raided the Abuja offices of the influential news website, Premium Times and arrested the publisher, Dapo Olorunyomi and the publication’s judiciary correspondent, Evelyn Okakwu. The police also conducted a thorough search at the offices without a search or arrest warrant. According to Nigerian police sources, the office raid and arrest of the publisher and journalist followed defamation complaints lodged by lawyers for the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai. The incident came days after the paper had refused a written request from the Nigerian Army to retract news stories about the Army and its operations.
Dapo Olorunyomi and Evelyn Okakwu
The publisher and journalist were detained for a number of hours before being granted bail, prompting massive outcry from the media community and activists across Nigeria. A number of petitions were sent to President Muhammadu Buhari decrying the spate of frequent attacks on the media by security forces and urging the President to help end the situation.
On January 25, 2017, Ms Ujunwa Atueyi, a journalist with The Guardian newspaper was arrested, detained for hours in a vehicle and forced to delete pictures she had taken of a raid on motorists at a Lagos bus stop. Atueyi was arrested after the policemen saw her capture a scene in which they (the police) were beating a young man. The journalist was interrogated before being forced to delete the pictures she had taken.
The Nigerian police carried out another raid on January 29, this time on the printing house of the Biafra Times newspaper. The editor of the newspaper, Peter Eke and nine others were arrested. Fatai Owoseni, the Lagos State Police Commissioner, told the media on January 30, that the suspects were arrested for “an offence punishable under the Criminal Law of Lagos State,” without giving details. He said the printing press has been shut and the premises are being monitored, adding that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as detectives finished interrogating them.
Media Suspensions Lifted in Benin and Cote d’Ivoire
Adam Boni Tessi, President of HAAC
In Benin, the media regulatory body, Haute Autorité de l’Audiovisuel et de la Communication (HAAC) on January 26, lifted its ban on privately-owned Soleil FM, Eden TV and E-Télé. The three were among seven media organisations that the regulatory body had suspended on November 28, 2016 for violating licensing conditions.
In Cote d’Ivoire, the LG Infos daily newspaper returned to the newsstand after the media regulator, Conseil national de la Presse (CNP) lifted a ban on the newspaper. The newspaper had been suspended for seven editions in December 2016 for publishing what the regulator deemed to be “false information” about former first lady Simone Gbagbo, and aide to her son and a former minister.
The MFWA welcomed the lifting of the media suspensions in both Benin and Cote d’Ivoire and called for increased professionalism on the part of media organisations, and non-restrictions and censorship on the part of media regulatory bodies.
Director General of Ivoirian State Broadcaster Reports Technicians to the Police
Ahmadou Bakayoko
The good news about the lifting of suspension on the LG Infos newspaper in Côte d’Ivoire was, however, tempered with some other unpleasant development. Ahmadou Bakayoko, the Director General of the state broadcaster, Radiodiffusion Télévison Ivoirienne (RTI), reported six technicians of the station to the police after a 15-minute delay in the start of the prime-time evening TV news programme of Januray 27, 2017. Although the delay was due to technical reasons, Bakayoko accused the six technicians of “sabotage and undermining state security.” They were, therefore, summoned to report to the police for interrogation on a daily basis from January 31 to February 2.
Liberia Information Minister Abuses Female Journalist
Liberian Minister for Information Eugene Nagbe
On January 23, Liberia’s Minister for Information Eugene Nagbe, verbally abused a female journalist Estelle Liberty Kemo, during a press conference resulting in several condemnations from multiple actors.
In response to a question from the journalist about a recent row between him and an opposition member of parliament, Moses Kollie, minister Nagbe angrily told the journalist “go and ask your boyfriend, Representative Moses Kollie.”
The response from the Minister was deemed offensive and abusive, and attracted wide condemnations including one from the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL) who demanded prompt apology from the Minister.
Radio Stations Honoured in Ghana for Elections Coverage
In Ghana, the MFWA honoured 13 radio stations from across the country that played a key role in reducing hate speech and other pro-violence campaigning during the country’s December elections. The 13 media organisations were honoured at a forum that brought together all stakeholders in the media sector to assess the performance of the media during the elections.
A reporter of Radio Lynx FM in Guinea was on February 1, 2017 arrested by the authorities at the Ignace Deen Medical Centre in the capital, Conakry and subjected to intense interrogation.
She was investigating poor conditions at the hospital, the second largest in the capital when she was accosted by one of the doctors.
Narrating her ordeal on the Lynx channel, Mariam Kouyaté said she got access to the premises of the hospital after showing her professional identification card at the entrance. While she was interviewing patients about their experience regarding the facilities and conditions at the hospital, a doctor appeared and questioned her about her action. “I identified myself and told him my mission, but the doctor seized my working equipment. He took me to the Director of the hospital who also questioned me and subsequently ordered that I be sent to the Judicial Police.
“They rained insults on me all the way to the police station where I was subjected to aggressive interrogation for hours,” Kouyaté lamented.
The MFWA’s correspondent in Guinea says it took a public outcry for the reporter to be released by the police later in the day. The correspondent added that the poor state of the facility is already well-known. There is no running water in the wards and there is a shortage even of oxygen masks for operations, but the authorities are obviously uncomfortable with further exposure in the media.
The MFWA is concerned about the arrest of Kouyaté and the verbal abuse she suffered in addition to the confiscation of her equipment. The reporter was performing her legitimate role as a media professional with a responsibility to inform the public about poor service delivery. We therefore call on the authorities in Guinea to ensure not only that the perpetrators are appropriately sanctioned but also that the incident does not recur at the hospital.
Six officials of Cote d’Ivoire’s state broadcaster, Radiodiffusion Télévision Ivoirienne (RTI) were on January 31, 2017 dragged before the police for interrogation after the prime news broadcast at 8.PM delayed by 15 minutes.
Richard Asman, Kouadio Koffi, Julien Kouamé, Eugénie Yobouet, Léocadie Lath et Serges Panama Yao, all technicians at the RTI, were summoned to the 8th District Command of the Abidjan-Cocody Police after the Director General of the public broadcaster, Ahmadou Bakayoko, lodged a complaint of sabotage and undermining the state security.
The interrogation lasted three days with the RTI workers reporting themselves to the police each day.
The MFWA’s correspondent in Cote d’Ivoire reports that the colleagues of the affected personnel have reacted angrily to the incident. In a statement signed by Hervé Konan, the secretary General of the staff union of RTI, the workers said the delay was a purely technical accident and that the technicians were all at post when it occurred. Moreover, it was the same crew that fixed the problem before the news programme could be aired.
“We consider this technical incident as an internal issue which should have been handled through internal administrative procedure to determine those responsible and apply the appropriate sanctions. This criminal process should have been initiated only in extreme cases or as the last resort,” the workers said in a note of protest addressed to the Director General.
The staff union also said the summons and interrogations were “excessive and disproportionate and potentially toxic to the already tense social climate.” The union also requested that peaceful internal channels are explored as much as possible to resolve such incidents in the future.
The MFWA strongly condemns the action of the Director General of the RTI. Reporting the six to the police for interrogation amounts to bullying, and has the potential to demoralize the professionals involved. Even if the technicians were at fault, administrative sanctions should have been applied. We call on the sector the minister of Communication to ensure that the Director of RTI follows administrative measures rather to lodge a complaint against the media professionals working with the state broadcasting channels if similar incidents re-emerged.
The Board of Directors of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), has praised the ECOWAS for its commendable efforts in ensuring the peaceful transfer of power from ex-President Yahya Jammeh to President Adama Barrow.
In a 10-point resolution issued at the end of a two-day meeting of the Board in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, the Board indicated that ECOWAS’ action on the Gambian situation was one that will help strengthen and consolidate democratic governance across West Africa.
It congratulated the new Gambian President and urged him to undertake urgent reforms that will help ensure good governance, and respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Gambian people.
“As a commitment to the human rights reform agenda, the Board further calls on President Barrow to take urgent steps to unconditionally release all political prisoners and detainees under the Yahya Jammeh regime. A similar gesture should be extended to journalists who were arbitrary detained or imprisoned under the regime,” the resolution stated.
Below is the full 10-point resolution issued by the Board
Board Resolution
By the Board of Directors of Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) at its Meeting held in Dakar, Senegal, on January 25 & 26, 2017.
On January 25 and 26, 2017, the Board of Directors of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) Chaired by Mr. Edetaen Ojo, met in Dakar, Senegal, to discuss and approve the organisation’s work plan and budget for 2017.
The MFWA Board in a group photograph with some Gambian media experts after a meeting on January 26, 2017
On the second day of the meeting, the Board held discussions with Gambian media experts, editors and the leadership of The Gambia Press Union (GPU) on the recent political challenges in The Gambia. The meeting discussed the prevailing context of press freedom and freedom of expression in The Gambia as well as the challenges and prospects for improving the media and freedom of expression landscape in the post-Jemmeh era.
At the end of the two-day meeting, the Board unanimously adopted and issued this 10-point resolution:
The Board highly commends the ECOWAS for its resilient efforts that ensured the resolution of the Gambian political crisis and the peaceful transfer of power to H.E. President Adama Barrow who won the December 1, 2016 presidential elections. This, the Board notes, is a commendable effort on the part of ECOWAS that will ensure democratic development and consolidation not only in the Gambia but the West Africa region as a whole.
It congratulates President Barrow on his victory and ascension to the high office. It also calls on the President to urgently undertake the necessary reforms to ensure good governance, and respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Gambian people.
The Board further commends the people of The Gambia for their resort to peace and dialogue during the transitional process and for remaining resolute in their quest for democratic consolidation and respect for human rights.
Mindful for the very repressive press situation and freedom of expression conditions in The Gambia under the 22-year rule of President Yahya Jammeh, the Board calls on President Barrow to undertake urgent reforms that will promote, protect and defend the rights of the Gambian people to freely express themselves and to guarantee press freedom in the country. Such reforms will include the repeal of laws that criminalise speech offences and the passage of a Right to Information (RTI) legislation.
As a commitment to the human rights reform agenda, the Board further calls on President Barrow to take urgent steps to unconditionally release all political prisoners and detainees under the Yahya Jammeh regime. A similar gesture should be extended to journalists who were arbitrarily detained or imprisoned under the Jammeh regime.
In view of the crucial role of the media in the democratic transition and consolidation processes, the Board urges the new administration to support media sector reform measures such as building the capacity of journalists, improving journalism training institutions, strengthening and reforming the Gambian Television and Radio Service (GRTS), and other initiations that will ensure a vibrant, pluralistic and professional media landscape that will support participatory and accountable governance.
On the regional front, the Board reiterates its deep concern about the slow pace of digital migration among countries in West Africa, including the low level of public awareness of the digital migration process and its potentially massive implications for access to information and the right to freedom of expression.
Mindful of the fact that digital migration will require policy, legal and regulatory reforms, the Board calls on governments to adopt a multi-stakeholder and consultative approach in all policy, legal and regulatory reform processes associated with digital migration so that all critical stakeholders can be effectively engaged.
The Board welcomes the generally noticeable decline in the most egregious forms of attacks on journalists and the media in the region. The Board, therefore, commends the management and staff of the MFWA and its national partners in the region for their significant contributions towards achieving the current generally improved conditions of freedom of expression in West Africa. It urges the secretariat to continue to work closely with it partners to further improve the situation and strengthen the media’s capacity to support transparent and accountable governance in the region.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the MFWA, which is this year – 2017, the Board expresses gratitude to the organisation’s past and present funders and partners for their commitment and support for the organisation and its work over the years. To formally mark the occasion, the Board announces a two-day anniversary celebration in the form of a regional conference and awards to be held on October 27 and 28, 2017 in Accra.
Adopted in Dakar, Senegal, this Thursday, the 26th day of January, 2017
Police in Lagos have arrested the publisher of the Biafra Times newspaper, Peter Eke and seized copies of his publications deemed seditious.
The police also arrested nine others alongside Eke. The nine others who were arrested are: Jamiu Eke, Azeez Ayoola, Akeem Adebakin, Bisi Akeem, Adewumi Temitope, Sakiru Folorunsho, Rafiu Qudus, Kunle Olusola, and Ayodeji Odunyinbo.
They were arrested in a raid on the night of January 29, 2017 at the printing press where the Biafra Times was being printed at No, 33 Oguntolu Street in Somolu.
According to Fatai Owoseni, the Lagos State Police Commissioner, the police arrested Peter Eke, and the nine others for publication and circulation of alleged seditious and malicious information. He added that 515 copies of the offending publication were seized during the raid on the printing press in Lagos.
Owoseni also said that the printing house where the newspaper was being printed has been shut and the premises are being monitored. The Police officer added that, the suspects would be charged to court as soon as detectives finished interrogating them. However, he did not give details about the alleged offending content.
On his part, Eke, who was paraded before the media by the police on January 30, told journalists that he had no intention to promote disunity and disharmony among Nigerians. “I love my country and I love my President. My intention is not to fight my country; I just want to pass out information to those who have no access to the Internet,’’ the publisher said.
The MFWA urges the authorities to release the suspects on bail and to conduct a thorough and credible investigation into the allegations leveled against them.
Arrests and detentions as well as physical attacks on journalists and media houses were the key feature of the MFWA’s freedom of expression rights monitoring reports for the fourth quarter of 2016.
The quarter covering October-December 2016 recorded fourteen cases of FOE rights violations in Benin, The Gambia, Guinea, Mauritania and Nigeria. The Gambia topped the list with seven violations while Nigeria came a distant second with three incidents while Guinea recorded two cases.
A total of 14 violations were recorded, six of which were arrests and detentions with two being physical attacks. The incidents of arrests and detentions also affected seven journalists.
“Arrests and detentions have an immediate deterrent effect in the sense that they instantly deprive the victims of their freedom to carry out their work, while physical attacks have the potential to cause long-term or even permanent incapacitation. The dominance of these two types of violations, is, therefore, quite alarming,” said Dora B. Mawutor, Programme Manager for Freedom of Expression Rights at the MFWA.
Another disturbing trend is the lead role of security agents in the violations. Security forces accounted for six (42%) of the violations.
During the preceding quarter (July-September, 2016), security agents perpetrated a massive 80% of the violations. This is a disturbing trend in which the state’s law enforcement agents have themselves become the leading violators of the law as far as respect for freedom of expression rights is concerned.
On a positive note, the number of countries (five out of 16 in West Africa) that recorded violations is the least since the Monitor was introduced in 2014.
While the decline in the number of incidents and the countries involved is a welcome development, the lack of political will to root out these violations or provide remedy when they occur is a major challenge. Attacks on journalists are often not treated as a crime, and the victims almost always go uncompensated. Where journalists are arbitrarily detained, their release from custody is often the only “reparation” they ever get. This situation must be addressed by all stakeholders, especially governments, given the dominant role of state actors in the violations contained in this report.
After suffering an unexpected electoral defeat on December 1, 2016, Jammeh, who had been crowned ‘West Africa’s King of Impunity’, for supervising a regime that overtly perpetrated human rights violations, made several attempts to hang on to power. He initially conceded defeat after the declaration of the results but renounced his concession a week later, rejecting the results and calling for fresh polls.
In January, the police in Nigeria, on different occasions arrested and detained a number of journalists prompting public outrage and petitions to President Muhammadu Buhari urging him to help bring the situation under control.
On January 19, police in Abuja, raided the Abuja offices of the influential news website, 
In Ghana, the MFWA honoured 13 radio stations from across the country that played a key role in reducing hate speech and other pro-violence campaigning during the country’s December elections. The 13 media organisations were honoured 
