Officers from the Zone 2 Command of the Nigerian Police Force in Lagos State arrested Precious Eze, a journalist and the publisher of News Platform, at his Gbagada, Lagos home on May 27, 2024. His arrest was allegedly instigated by a complaint from a well-known businessman and politician, according to a statement by Eze’s colleagues. Members of the Society of Digital Newspaper Owners of Nigeria, to which Eze belongs, learned of his detention a week later, and their efforts to secure his bail have so far been unsuccessful.
Eze appeared in the Ebute Meta Magistrate Court on Thursday, May 30, where the police sought a remand order. However, the magistrate dismissed the case for lack of evidence and stated that Eze had no case to answer. Despite this, the police re-detained Eze and re-arraigned him before another magistrate on Friday, May 31, with the case postponed to a later date in June.
“This situation is more than just a personal hardship for Precious Eze; it’s a direct attack on press freedom in Nigeria,” his colleagues declared. They contended that the police, seemingly under the influence of a powerful individual, were attempting to intimidate and silence the press, undermining the democratic principle that journalists must be able to report freely and hold those in power accountable.
The Nigerian Constitution, the Evidence Act, and the Nigerian Press Council Act all guarantee journalistic freedom and the protection of sources. Eze’s extended detention starkly violates these protections, highlighting the dangers journalists face in Nigeria. His case underscores a broader struggle for freedom of expression in the country and calls for actions to protect the rights of journalists and the public’s right to information.
