Arrest/detention/charges: Arrest/detention under fake news laws
A law in the Nigerian state of Ebonyi passed earlier this month to penalize the spread of misinformation about COVID-19 and other infectious diseases was used to arrest and charge journalist Chijioke Agwu. The reporter, who is a correspondent for the The Sun newspapers, was detained on the orders of Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi over a report he wrote about the Lassa fever, a viral illness endemic in parts of West Africa, including Nigeria. The governor accused Agwu of lying and breaking the new law – an allegation refuted by his employer.