Nigeria has failed to secure justice in 12 of the 13 documented cases of journalists murdered for their work since 2006, raising fresh concerns over the safety of media professionals and the country's response to attacks on the press.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) disclosed this in its latest Director-General's Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity, released on Monday to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
According to the report, only one of the 13 cases recorded in Nigeria has been resolved, while seven remain ongoing or unresolved. Five others have been judicially archived.
The murder of Nansok Sallah, a journalist with Highland FM, is the only case classified as resolved by UNESCO.
The report monitors investigations and judicial proceedings involving journalists killed because of their professional work, highlighting the extent to which perpetrators are held accountable.
UNESCO stressed that the mere existence of a police investigation does not amount to justice for murdered journalists.
It explained that a case is classified as resolved based on judicial developments, including the indictment of suspects or a court judgement, rather than simply the announcement of an investigation or an arrest.
Cases in which judicial proceedings have produced no outcome are classified as ongoing or unresolved. Those archived by courts or in which available judicial avenues have been exhausted without accountability are also considered unresolved.
The 13 Nigerian journalists listed in UNESCO's observatory were killed between December 2006 and October 2020.
They include Godwin Agbroko and Paul Abayomi Ogundeji of ThisDay; Bayo Ohu of The Guardian; Zakariya Isa of the Nigerian Television Authority; Enenche Akogwu of Channels Television; Nansok Sallah of Highland FM; and Ikechukwu Udendu of Anambra News.
Others are Famous Giobaro, Ikechukwu Onubogu of the Anambra Broadcasting Service, Precious Owolabi of Channels Television, Maxwell Nashan of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Alex Ogbu of The Regent Africa Times and Pelumi Onifade of Gboah TV.
Several of the killings occurred while the journalists were carrying out their professional duties or in circumstances that attracted widespread attention.
Agbroko, chairman of ThisDay's editorial board, was attacked and killed while returning home in Lagos on December 22, 2006.
Ogundeji, also a member of the newspaper's editorial board, was shot dead in Lagos on August 17, 2008, while Ohu was murdered at his residence on September 20, 2009.
Isa, an NTA cameraman, was shot dead in Maiduguri on October 22, 2011.
Akogwu, a Channels Television reporter, was killed in Kano on January 20, 2012, while covering the aftermath of attacks attributed to Boko Haram. He was reportedly interviewing residents and witnesses when he was shot.
Owolabi, also a Channels Television journalist, was killed on July 22, 2019, while covering a protest in Abuja.
The report's findings renew concerns about Nigeria's obligations under international human rights standards, particularly the protection of freedom of expression and the safety of journalists.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees freedom of opinion and expression, including the right to seek, receive and impart information.
Nigeria is also a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which obliges member states to respect and protect freedom of expression.
The United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity further provides a framework for preventing attacks, protecting media professionals and ensuring accountability.
The UN General Assembly (UNGA) established November 2 as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists in 2013, urging governments to investigate attacks, prosecute perpetrators and provide remedies for victims and their families.
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