By Abdullah Lukman
The Nigeria National Committee of the International Press Institute (IPI) has provided full justification for the maiden listing of three public officials in its novel Book of Infamy for media repression.
In a press release dated December 2, 2025, the Institute explained why Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and two Governors, Eno Umoh of Akwa Ibom State and Mohammed Bago of Niger State were listed in the book NatureNews reveal it is first of its kind in Africa.
The institute says it was compelled to add three Nigerian public officials to the IPI Nigeria Book of Infamy because their actions represent serious violations of press freedom and democratic norms.
IPI President, who disclosed this in his speech at the annual conference/annual general meeting, noted that the listing makes them the first set of individuals to earn a place in this accountability record.
Below is the full text of the statement.
“Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State
On 1 August 2025, Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago ordered the closure of Badegi 90.1 FM, an independent radio station in Minna. Speaking at a meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he directed the Commissioner for Homeland Security and the Commissioner of Police to seal the station and to profile its owner simply for being critical of his administration. The station was forcibly shut the next day.
On 3 August, IPI Nigeria issued a strongly worded statement condemning this unlawful action and demanding the immediate and unconditional reopening of Badegi FM. We also highlighted earlier troubling incidents revealing a pattern of repression under Governor Bago:
• In January 2025, Yakubu Mustapha, Niger State correspondent for Peoples Daily and Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel (NUJ), was detained for three days after circulating an article critical of the governor’s media aide.
• In November 2023, Mustapha Nasiru Batsari, Niger State correspondent for the Voice of America, was reportedly assaulted by a commissioner in Mr Bago’s cabinet after requesting an interview on a deadly farmers’ clash in Beji, Bosso LGA.
IPI Nigeria reminded the governor that his actions constitute a blatant abuse of power and violate Sections 22 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantee freedom of expression, press freedom, and the right to information.
Although Badegi FM was later reopened following nationwide condemnation, the harassment of the station continued. On 3 November, IPI Nigeria wrote directly to the governor demanding an immediate halt to all forms of intimidation against the station. To date, he has neither responded nor complied. His administration instead persisted in hostile actions against the broadcaster.
Governor Bago’s conduct is undemocratic, unconstitutional, and unacceptable. For these reasons, he is hereby listed in the IPI Nigeria Book of Infamy.
Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun
On 26 August 2025, IPI Nigeria condemned the arrest, detention, and sustained harassment of Azuka Ogujiuba, publisher of Media Room Hub and former journalist with ThisDay, by officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
Ms. Ogujiuba was targeted for performing her professional duty of reporting on a land dispute before the courts. Instead of respecting her constitutional right to press freedom, the police deployed intimidation: unlawful detention, repeated summons to Abuja despite her residing in Lagos, and two separate arrests.
Such heavy-handed misconduct is designed to silence a journalist and is incompatible with Nigeria’s obligations under both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
At the time, IPI Nigeria called on Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun to intervene, halt the harassment, and issue clear directives to protect journalists nationwide. We reminded him that journalists must be allowed to report on matters of public interest without fear of arrest or reprisal.
The situation, however, worsened under his watch. Since Ms Ogujiuba’s case, more journalists have been unlawfully detained or assaulted by police commands across the country, including:
• Abdulaziz Aliyu of Waraka Online TV (Kano State Police Command)
• Nasir Yelwa, Nigerian correspondent for the Iranian News Agency, while covering protests in Abuja (FCT Command)
• Sodeeq Atanda of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (Ekiti State Police Command)
On 30 September, IPI Nigeria formally wrote to the Inspector-General, urging concrete action to halt this pattern of abuse and ensure police compliance with constitutional guarantees.
He has yet to respond. Nor has he taken visible corrective steps. Under his leadership, a culture of impunity has flourished in police interactions with journalists.
For failing to uphold his constitutional duties and allowing systematic media repression, Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun is hereby listed in the IPI Nigeria Book of Infamy.
Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State
On 24 May 2025, the Akwa Ibom State Government expelled Christopher Moffat and Kufre Ikpe of Channels Television from the Government House Press Centre. The reporters were barred from covering state activities after exposing an undemocratic remark by Governor Umo Eno—an incident the administration sought to conceal.
IPI Nigeria immediately condemned the action and demanded their reinstatement. Seven months later, the journalists remain banned.
During this period, IPI engaged the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, and the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ekerete Udoh, but no corrective action was taken. On 25 September, we wrote formally to Governor Eno demanding immediate redress or risk inclusion in the Book of Infamy. The letter, delivered on 2 October, was ignored.
The continued exclusion of Channels Television reporters constitutes a direct assault on press freedom and violates constitutional guarantees under Sections 22 and 39.
For refusing to reverse his administration’s repressive actions and for perpetuating a climate hostile to journalists, Governor Umo Eno is hereby listed in the IPI Nigeria Book of Infamy.
*Conclusion*
IPI Nigeria maintains that public officials who abuse power to intimidate or silence the press must be held accountable. The inclusion of these three officials in the Book of Infamy signals our unwavering commitment to defending press freedom and ensuring that constitutional violations do not go unanswered”.
Meanwhile, the Institute has also given a full justification for the special recognition of the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi.
It says simce his appointment in late August 2024, Mr Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi has demonstrated a commitment to press freedom and respect for journalists and media organisations.
The full text is as follows:
Unlike in previous years when the SSS was notorious for serial harassment, intimidation, and arrests of journalists, the agency under Mr Ajayi’s leadership has shown remarkable restraint, professionalism, and openness to dialogue. Conflicts between the Service and the media are now resolved amicably, through engagement rather than coercion.
A few examples illustrate this transformation.
Barely hours into his tenure, one of our colleagues, Adejuwon Soyinka, was intercepted and detained in Lagos. Within hours of IPI Nigeria bringing the matter to his attention, Mr Ajayi directed the Lagos Command to release the journalist immediately.
For decades, our member Lanre Arogundade suffered humiliating treatment at Nigeria’s borders, having been placed on the DSS watchlist since the 1980s. Despite years of advocacy, previous assurances that his name had been removed turned out to be untrue. Shortly after assuming office, Mr Ajayi received a formal complaint from IPI Nigeria and acted swiftly—permanently deleting Mr Arogundade’s name from the watchlist.
In the Order Paper case, the DSS arrested a staff member of the newspaper following the medium’s inaccurate report alleging the Service invaded the National Assembly to facilitate the removal of Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Once notified, Mr Ajayi immediately ordered that the detained journalist be granted administrative bail. Through constructive engagement, the matter was later resolved, all charges filed in court were withdrawn, and the case was closed.
There was also a case involving one of our colleagues who became entangled in a personal matter unrelated to journalism. He was arrested alongside an associate. He took ill in detention. Acting on humanitarian grounds, we sought the DG’s intervention. Mr Ajayi obliged and ordered his release.
In February 2025, the SSS contacted IPI Nigeria, accusing several media organisations of publishing falsehoods about its role in the Lagos Assembly crisis. Though understandably aggrieved, the DG worked patiently and collaboratively with us to resolve the dispute. The agency provided evidence that it had been invited by the Assembly leadership to secure the complex, and the matter was amicably settled without confrontation.
In October 2025, without any prompting from IPI Nigeria, Mr Ajayi ordered disciplinary action against officers involved in the arrest and detention of two journalists from Jay 101.9 FM, a private radio station in Jos. He subsequently caused the SSS to issue a formal apology to the journalists and their organisation.
For these and other reasons, we are honouring Mr Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi today. We do so not only to acknowledge his commendable press freedom credentials but also to encourage him to do even more, and to inspire other officials, institutions, and organisations to emulate his example.
BY THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS INSTITUTE
02 DECEMBER 2025
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