Open Alliance strongly condemns the continued detention and prosecution of Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), following reports concerning alleged irregularities in the expenditure of the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs).
The detention of a journalist over investigative reports questioning the management of public funds raises serious concerns about press freedom, freedom of expression and the shrinking civic space in Nigeria.
Journalism that scrutinises public expenditure and demands accountability should be protected, not criminalised or met with intimidation and imprisonment.
While public officials are entitled to seek legal redress where they believe their reputations have been damaged, criminal prosecution and detention must not become instruments for silencing legitimate investigative journalism or discouraging public scrutiny of government activities.
Open Alliance calls on the Federal Government, the Attorney-General of the Federation and relevant authorities to ensure Ojukwu’s immediate release, discontinue the use of criminal defamation and cyberstalking provisions to intimidate journalists, and guarantee that media practitioners can carry out their constitutional responsibilities without fear of reprisals.
A democracy cannot thrive where those who ask difficult questions about public spending are treated as criminals. Journalism is not a crime, and accountability must never be punished.
