International Press Institute (IPI) condemned the detention of four Leadership journalists

The International Press Institute (IPI) condemned the detention of four Leadership journalists by the police over their refusal to disclose the source of a leaked document that embarrassed President Goodluck Jonathan.

IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie said in a statement that “we remind the Nigerian authorities that journalists have the right to protect their sources, even when the leaked information causes embarrassment to the authorities.”

The journalists are Chinyere Fred-Adegbulugbe, executive director of Leadership Sunday, Chuks Ohuegbe, managing editor, Tony Amokeodo, group news editor, and Chibuzor Ukaibe, political reporter.

“In a country where journalists have repeatedly come under attack, Nigerian security forces need to concentrate on protecting the safety of journalists rather than infringing on their rights,” McKenzie said.

Also, the Nigeria National Committee of the IPI yesterday notes with concern, the continuing travails of the journalists working with the Leadership newspapers.

A statement by the committee’s chairman Malam Kabiru Yusuf and his secretary Raheem Adedoyin said though the journalists have been released after two unwarranted, agonizing nights in detention, we see nothing to celebrate in their release because they ought not to have been detained in the first instance.”

“Detaining journalists while investigating their alleged professional infractions is a throw-back to the best-forgotten dark days of dictatorial regimes. The courts, not detention centres, are the proper place to take alleged offenders,” the statement said. IPI also frowns at the journalists’ conditional release- where they are made to continue to report to the police- as this is illegal and unacceptable. The police cannot usurp the power of the courts. “IPI warns against resort to arbitrariness in dealing with complaints against the press. A threat to the press is a threat to our democracy,” it said.