Nigeria’s ranking among African nations with the highest number of jailed journalists has come to light in a recent report, placing the country seventh after Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Rwanda, and Tunisia.
The report again, reveals the struggles faced by journalists across the continent, as they fight for press freedom and the right to report without fear of imprisonment.
According to the report, as of December 1, 2024, CPJ recorded 67 media workers imprisoned across Africa in connection with their work, with Nigeria following Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Rwanda, and Tunisia in this unfortunate ranking.
Although the figure of 67 represents a slight decrease from the revised 2024 African jailers figure of 68 in 2023, it remains significantly higher than the 2022 figure of 57. Notably, four journalists in Nigeria face prosecution under cybercrime laws, with the government often targeting those investigating corruption.
The report stated that Egypt jailed 17 journalists; Eritrea jailed 16 journalists; Ethiopia jailed six; Cameroon, Rwanda and Tunisia jailed five journalists, while Nigeria jailed four journalists, and Algeria jailed two while Angola, Burundi, South Sudan, Democratic Republic Congo (DRC), Madagascar, Guinea, and Senegal jailed one journalist respectively.
The CPI report stated, “Most of the journalists detained in Africa are facing anti-state, criminal defamation, and false news charges.
“Eritrea remained among the worst jailers of journalists globally. Those held in Eritrea include some of the journalists imprisoned the longest anywhere in the world.
“Senegal features in CPJ’s 2024 prison census after an investigation found that journalist René Capain Bassène is serving a life sentence for a crime witnesses say he could not have committed. CPJ has revised its records to include him in census data since his 2018 arrest.
“Five journalists detained in Ethiopia could face the death penalty if convicted of terrorism, while the sixth has been detained without charge.
“South Sudan journalist Emmanuel Monychol Akop has been held since November 2024, without appearing in court.
“Journalists detained in Cameroon are serving prison terms of between 10 and 32 years.
“Sandra Muhoza is imprisoned in Burundi for a WhatsApp post.
“Carlos Raimundo Alberto remained in prison in Angola for criminal defamation, despite qualifying for parole in mid-November 2024.
“Nigeria and Rwanda used cybercrime laws to detain journalists.
“Journalists detained in Rwanda and Senegal have alleged mistreatment behind bars, including beatings.”
Leave a Reply