As concerns mount over Nigeria’s worsening human rights record, Amnesty International Nigeria has taken a step to reawaken the conscience of the media, convening over 60 journalists from across the South East and Delta State for an intensive two-day training in Enugu on ‘Human Rights-Centred Journalism’.
The workshop, which brought together reporters, and media advocates, sought to build a new generation of journalists who can challenge oppression, uphold ethics, and amplify the voices of the voiceless in the face of rising state impunity.
Amnesty International’s Communications Officer, Mr. Michael Christian, said the initiative was driven by the disturbing pattern of human rights violations and the lack of empathy and gender sensitivity in media coverage.
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According to him, while many reports are factual, they often fail to reflect the human cost of abuse or give voice to victims’ dignity.
One of the facilitators, Chijioke Agbo, an Associate Professor of Law at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), in his paper, titled, “Press Freedom and the Law: Navigating Legal Risks in Journalism”, condemned what he described as the “ruling class’s blatant disregard for democratic norms and citizens’ rights,” warning that the government’s sustained attacks on civil liberties were eroding the foundations of democracy.
He called for the repeal of the Public Order Act of 1979 and criticized the Cybercrimes Act, describing it as a “weapon of state intimidation” used to silence dissent and muzzle the press.
Agbo, however, cautioned media professionals to understand that the legal protection of their sources was a “privilege, not a right,” urging them to exercise discretion when handling sensitive information.
