The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has strongly condemned the harassment and unlawful arrest of Ms. Azuka Ogujiuba, describing the action as a brazen violation of press freedom and an assault on democracy.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Union said Ogujiuba, a respected journalist, was targeted simply for performing her professional duty of speaking truth to power.
“The harassment and unlawful arrest of Ms. Azuka Ogujiuba is unacceptable. Such intimidation tactics have no place in a civilized society and will be resisted by the NUJ with every legitimate means available,” the statement read.
The Union warned that the continuous persecution of journalists in Nigeria undermines democracy, stressing that security agencies must remember their constitutional duty is to protect citizens, not silence them.
“An injury to one journalist is an injury to all. We will not stand idly by while our members are treated as criminals for doing their lawful work,” the NUJ declared.
The body demanded that the Inspector-General of Police order his officers to desist from harassing Ogujiuba, while also calling for an open investigation into the circumstances surrounding her arrest.
The NUJ further cautioned security operatives against any future acts of intimidation, warning that it is ready to rally its members nationwide and seek international solidarity to resist attempts to gag the press.
“The NUJ stands firm: journalism is not a crime. The freedom of the press is the cornerstone of democracy, and any assault on it is an assault on Nigeria itself,” the statement added.
