CODE urges security agents to respect press freedom

Connected Development (CODE) says press freedom is a key pillar of democracy which should be respected at all times by political and security actors.

Chief Executive, CODE, Hamzat Lawal, said this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

Lawal, also the Founder, Follow The Money, a transparency advocacy group, said lack of respect for the media would erode public confidence in democracy.

“These acts of oppression threaten not only the freedom of the press but also the very foundation of our democratic society.

He recalled the recent media report on the arrest of Juwon Soyinka, West Africa Regional Editor of The Conversation and pioneer editor of BBC Pidgin.

He said while the security agencies continued to do their best to make the society a safe place, journalists should also work without fear of being arrested.

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“It is imperative that journalists be allowed to operate without fear or favour, enabling them to fulfil their critical role in holding those in power accountable.

“International conventions and resolutions, such as the United Nations’ Joint Declaration on Media Freedom and Democracy, emphasise that a free, uncensored, and independent press is a cornerstone of democratic societies.

“The Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression’’, he said.

He said the arrest of Soyinka could give the impression could send a wrong signal that the present administration was out to supress press freedom.

“Journalists must operate safely, freely, and objectively, while ensuring that the truth is always upheld and illuminated,” the CODE chief executive said.