News
Nigeria Police Charge 4 Journalists with Cybercrimes for Corruption Reporting
Despite recent reforms to Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act, journalists continue to be targeted for publishing news in the public interest, with four reporters being charged under the law last month, according to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide.
Cybercrime laws and other regulations governing online content have been widely used to jail journalists around the world.
In Nigeria, at least 29 journalists have faced prosecution under the cybercrimes law since it was enacted in 2015.
CPJ had warned that February’s amendments to the law, which followed years of advocacy by human rights groups and CPJ, still left journalists at risk of prosecution due to an overly broad definition of what is a criminal offense. Since the law was reformed, it has been used to summon, intimidate, and detain journalists for their work.
On September 20, police in western Lagos State separately arrested Olurotimi Olawale, editor of the privately owned National Monitor newspaper, and Precious Eze Chukwunonso, publisher of the privately owned News Platform website, Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists’ president, Abdulrahman Aliagan, told CPJ.
On September 25, police arrested Rowland Olonishuwa, a reporter with the privately owned Herald newspaper, in western Kwara state and Seun Odunlami, publisher of privately owned Newsjaunts website, in nearby Ogun state, Aliagan and Kwara-based journalist Dare Akogun told CPJ.
“Nigerian authorities should immediately release journalists, Olurotimi Olawale, Precious Eze Chukwunonso, Rowland Olonishuwa, and Seun Odunlami, and swiftly drop the cybercrime charges against them,” said Angela Quintal, head of CPJ’s Africa Program, from New York. “Since Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act became law, it has been used to arrest and prosecute journalists, and these arrests emphasize that the recent reforms to the law have not reversed that trend.”
On September 27, the four journalists were charged in a Lagos federal court with violating sections 24(1)(b) and 27 of the Cybercrimes Act for reporting that implicated Segun Agbaje, chief executive officer of Guaranty Trust Bank, in alleged fraud worth 1 trillion naira (US$600 million) according to Aliagan, Akogun, and a copy of the charge sheet reviewed by CPJ.
Section 24 of Cybercrimes Act relates to pornographic or knowingly false messages “for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order, posing a threat to life, or causing such messages to be sent,” according to a copy of the law’s amendments signed by President Bola Tinubu in February. Violation of this section is punishable with up to three years in prison and a fine of 7 million naira (US$4,200).
Section 27 relates to attempts to violate the law and conspiracy, as well as aiding and abetting. Conniving to commit “fraud using computer system(s) or network” carries a variable punishment based on the violation and/or up to seven years in prison and a requirement to refund or forfeit stolen funds, according to the same copy of the amendments.
The journalists pleaded not guilty and were remanded at a Lagos correctional center, pending a bail hearing on October 4, Aliagan and Akogun told CPJ.
Although the police compelled the journalists to take down their articles, Nigeria’s federal House of Representatives subsequently announced an investigation into the bank over fraud allegations.
GTBank’s chief communications officer Oyinade Adegite confirmed to CPJ by phone that the bank had sought to have the journalists charged with cybercrime over their reporting, which she said was “defamatory.”
CPJ’s call and text messages to request comment from Lagos State police spokesperson Hauwa Idris-Adamu on September 27 went unanswered.
Credit…. Committee to Protect Journalists
British High Commission in Nigeria has reiterated the strong, long-standing relationship between the United Kingdom and Nigeria following the release of the UK Immigration White Paper earlier today.
A spokesperson for the High Commission stated that the UK remains a top destination for Nigerians seeking opportunities to work, study, visit, and settle, acknowledging the valuable contributions Nigerians make to the UK economy and society.
The White Paper outlines reforms to legal migration, aimed at restoring order, control, and fairness to the system while promoting economic growth.
The spokesperson assured that changes would be gradual, with further engagement between the UK and Nigerian government officials once implementation details are finalized.
“The UK has a proud tradition as an outward-looking nation, investing and trading abroad, and welcoming the creativity, ideas, and diversity of those who come to contribute here,” the spokesperson said.
The UK government has pledged to work closely with Nigerian authorities to ensure a smooth transition as the new immigration policies take effect
Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has directed nine electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to compensate Band A customers residing in 557 streets across their franchise areas for failing to meet the minimum power supply requirement under the new electricity tariff regime.
According to NERC, the affected DisCos must implement compensation across 152 electricity feeders due to poor supply in April.
The compensation will be provided through electricity credit or improved power supply, as outlined in the April 2025 Multi-Year Tariff Order.
The directive affects the following DisCos:
Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC)
Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC)
Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED)
Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO)
Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDCO)
Ikeja Electric (IE)
Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC)
Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC)
Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC)
The development follows a tariff hike of over 300% for Band A customers in 2024, which mandated a minimum daily power supply of 20 hours. Despite the increase, many consumers have continued to report poor service delivery, leading to the latest compensation directive.
NERC stated that affected DisCos must upgrade power supply in designated areas or provide electricity credits to customers who experienced service failures.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria to immediately disclose whether it has commenced the direct disbursement of allocations to the 774 local government areas in Nigeria, following the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment nullifying state governors’ control over LGA funds.
In a letter dated 10 May 2025 obtained by our correspondent, addressed to the CBN Governor, Mr Olayemi Cardoso, and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the group also demanded that the bank “widely publish the amounts, if any, so far sent directly to each of the local governments” and provide a detailed explanation of any payments already made—particularly to LGAs in Rivers State.
The group stated: “We are writing to request you to use your good offices and leadership position to immediately disclose whether the CBN has commenced the direct disbursement of allocations to the 774 local government councils in Nigeria from the Federation Accounts with the CBN, and to widely publish the amounts, if any, so far sent to each of the local governments.”
This request follows a Supreme Court judgment declaring the practice by governors and the FCT Minister of retaining and disbursing LGA allocations unconstitutional and unlawful.
The court ruled that no governor or agency has the authority to interfere with allocations meant for LGAs from the Federation Account.
Citing this judgment, SERAP argued: “Local government councils are entitled to a direct payment from the Federation Account of the amount standing to their credit in the said Federation Account. States should not be collecting, receiving, spending or tampering with the local government council funds from the Federation Account meant for the benefit of the councils.”
The advocacy group expressed concern that despite the ruling, many state governors have continued to “starve local governments of funds and put them in peril,” thereby undermining their autonomy and capacity to function as the third tier of government.
In the letter, the group warned that if the CBN fails to act within seven days, it would take legal action.
“If we have not heard from you by then, the Incorporated Trustees of SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and the CBN to comply with our request in the public interest,” the letter stated.
SERAP referenced a past revelation by former President Muhammadu Buhari, who in December 2022 described how governors allegedly short-changed LGA chairmen.
“If the money from the Federation Account to the state is about N100 million, N50 million will be sent to the chairman, but he will sign that he received N100 million. The chairman will pocket the balance and share it with whoever he wants to share it with,” Buhari had said.
The organisation argued that the CBN has a constitutional and statutory obligation to protect the financial interests of all tiers of government.
“The CBN ought to act in the public interest to protect the allocations in the Federation Account and the public funds disbursed from that Account directly to each of the constitutionally recognised three tiers of government,” it said.
Highlighting the March 2025 revenue distribution by the Federation Account Allocation Committee, SERAP noted that a total of N1.578 trillion was shared among the three tiers of government. It queried whether the LGAs had received their fair share directly, as mandated by the court ruling.
“Ensuring that all restrictions against direct disbursement of allocations from the Federation Account to the 774 councils are lifted will comply with the orders by the Supreme Court and stop states and the FCT from tampering with the allocations ahead of the 2027 general elections,” SERAP warned.
The group further argued that Nigerians have a legal and moral right to know how their money is being managed, referencing several legal frameworks, including the Nigerian Constitution, the Freedom of Information Act, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“The public interest in publishing the information sought outweighs any considerations to withhold the information. Nigerians are entitled to the right to receive information without any interference or distortion, and the enjoyment of this right should be based on the principle of maximum disclosure,” SERAP stated.
The group also reminded the CBN that “the Freedom of Information Act is applicable and applies to public records in the Federation, including those kept by the CBN.”
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