In a letter to Nigerian President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the International Press Institute (IPI) today expressed grave concern over the April 26 bombing attacks on the offices of ThisDay newspaper in Abuja, and on facilities of The Sun, ThisDay and The Moment in Kaduna.
In a letter dated May 2 and signed by IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie, IPI called on the Nigerian President to ensure that the perpetrators of the attack, which killed eight members of the newspapers’ security and administrative staff, are immediately brought to justice.
The letter also noted particularly disturbing reports which alleged that the militant group Boko Haram, which claimed responsibility for the attack, had decided to target the media and warned of future attacks. “We have just started this new campaign against the media and we will not stop here”, a spokesperson for Boko Haram reportedly said after the April 26 attack. “We will hit the media hard since they have refused to listen to our plea for them to be fair in their reportage”.
Urging the Nigerian authorities to consider threats against the media as a matter of high priority, Bethel McKenzie further stated: “Failure to stem a worrying tide of impunity in attacks against journalists in Nigeria and address these horrific threats will embolden the killers of journalists.”
The full text of IPI’s letter appears below
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Federal Secretariat Complex
(Second floor)
Shehu Shagari Way
Maitama, Abuja 09-5233536
Nigeria
Vienna, May 2, 2012
Your Excellency,
As executive director of the International Press Institute (IPI), the world’s oldest global press freedom organisation, I write to express our grave concern over the attacks on media houses in Abuja and Kaduna on April 26.
According to the information available to IPI, a total of eight casualties have been confirmed following bomb attacks on the offices of ThisDay newspaper in Abuja, and The Sun, ThisDay and The Moment in Kaduna. IPI understands that the militant Islamist group Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the attack.
In an interview with Nigerian news website, Premium Times, Abul Qaqa, spokesman for Boko Haram, also reportedly warned of further attacks: “We have just started this new campaign against the media and we will not stop here, we will hit the media hard since they have refused to listen to our plea for them to be fair in their reportage. In the coming days we will give details and instances where the media have not been fair to us and why we are going to attack them as well.”
IPI respectfully calls upon Your Excellency to publicly denounce these killings and requests that they be fully investigated and that the masterminds behind these brutal and totally unprovoked attacks be brought to justice.
Failure to stem a worrying tide of impunity in attacks against journalists in Nigeria and address these horrific threats will embolden the killers of journalists.
It is a core responsibility of any state to ensure that journalists can carry out their profession and report on events in an accurate and fair manner without fear of retaliation by criminals, who believe they can scare the media into supporting their views.
If Your Excellency’s government allows this to happen, the very pillars of democracy in Nigeria will be seriously threatened and the media will be prevented from carrying out their vital democratic function.
A flourishing, diverse, critical media is a cornerstone of any healthy democracy.
We respectfully urge Your Excellency to send a strong signal that such attacks will not be tolerated.
Yours Respectfully,
Alison Bethel McKenzie
IPI Executive Director
CC:
Mr. Abba Moro
Minister of Interior
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Mr. Labaran Maku
Minister of Information and Communication
Federal Republic of Nigeria
