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Niger authorities crack down on critical journalists
NEW YORK – The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by recent detentions in Niger of journalists critical of the government. In the past week, four journalists have been held for days without charge, two of whom remain in custody, and the justice minister has warned of a crackdown.
Judicial police in the capital Niamey have since Monday detained Ousmane Dambadji, editor of L’Union, and TV presenter Zakari Abdou of independent broadcaster Canal 3 over commentary aired during a January program on Canal 3, according to local journalists and news reports. Details of commentary were not immediately available.
On January 23, judicial police detained Soumana Idrissa Maïga, editor of the independent daily l’Enquêteur, on accusations of threatening national security over a January 17 column in his newspaper in which a writer speculated that the ruling party’s days in power were numbered, according to local news reports.
On January 25, Abdoulaye Mamane, presenter of a Hausa-language talk show on Radio Télévision Bonferey, was detained after a guest on his January 16 program accused the president of corruption, according to local news reports. The guest was also detained.
A magistrate on Monday ordered the release without charge of Maïga and Mamane, according to the reports and local journalists.
“Since the democratic transition of 2009, Niger’s leadership has often been cited as an example for its respect of press freedom, but the government’s crackdown on critical journalists threatens to roll back the country’s democratic progress,” said CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed Keita. “We call on Nigerien authorities to release the journalists still in custody and respect its own laws pertaining to the media.”
Niger’s 2010 press law bans pretrial detentions of journalists for offenses related to their work, according to CPJ research. In November 2011, Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou became the first African head of state to endorse the Declaration of Table Mountain, which calls for the repeal of criminal defamation and insult laws throughout Africa.
In an interview with The Associated Press today, Justice Minister Marou Amadou accused the four journalists of issuing false accusations and “appeals to hatred and violence.” Last week, in a press conference, Amadou had warned that the government would crack down on critical coverage. “Calls to ethnic hatred, insurrection or a coup, we have heard [them] in media outlets,” Radio France Internationale quoted him as saying. He mentioned “youth threatening to go dislodge turn by turn the prime minister and the president of the republic, in an insurrectional style,” and likened this to the Arab Spring. Amadou acknowledged the president’s signing of the Table Mountain Declaration and the decriminalization of press offenses, but said that challenging the democratic framework or calling for destabilization of the country are offenses punishable by the criminal code.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) have disclosed details of their recent closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu, explaining that the engagement focused on strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The clarification came amid speculation surrounding the meeting, which took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja after leaders of several opposition parties attended an Iftar dinner hosted by the president earlier in the week.
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Speaking during a gathering hosted in Abuja by the SDP’s former presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo on Friday, the party’s National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, said the meeting with Tinubu followed an official invitation from the Presidency and lasted about an hour.
According to Gombe, the discussion centred on the need to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral laws and restore public confidence in the country’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 polls.
He explained that the meeting provided an opportunity for party leaders to remind the president of the importance of conducting transparent, free, and credible elections.
Gombe noted that democracy can only thrive when governments listen to the concerns of citizens and ensure electoral processes that guarantee fairness and accountability.
The SDP chairman also expressed concern over growing voter apathy, pointing to the low turnout recorded in the recent Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the Abuja Municipal Area Council election witnessed only about seven per cent voter turnout, which he described as a clear sign that many Nigerians are losing confidence in the electoral system.
Gombe urged the government and members of the National Assembly to take urgent steps to review electoral laws and rebuild public trust in Nigeria’s democracy.
Also speaking, the National Chairman of IPAC, Dr. Yusuf Dantalle, said political parties used the meeting to raise concerns about aspects of proposed electoral reforms, particularly issues related to indirect primaries and the mandatory electronic transmission of results.
Dantalle explained that the parties appealed to the president to use his influence to encourage legislative review where necessary, noting that reforms should strengthen, rather than complicate, the democratic process.
He expressed optimism that Tinubu would consider the concerns raised and support necessary amendments that would improve the electoral system.
The IPAC chairman also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strictly adhere to electoral guidelines as preparations for the next election cycle begin.
Earlier in his remarks, Adebayo cautioned political actors against turning the 2027 general elections into a do-or-die contest, stressing that the primary goal of democracy should be the progress and stability of Nigeria rather than personal political victories.
He urged leaders across political parties to encourage citizens to actively participate in the democratic process and ensure that elections are conducted peacefully and transparently.
President Bola Tinubu and Mr. Taiwo Oyedele during his nomination on Wednesday.
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