The Coalition for Whistleblowers Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF) has condemned the arrest and detention of Mr. Jamil Mabai, a freelance journalist with Trust TV, the television broadcasting arm of Media Trust Group, by the Hisbah Police in Katsina state on May 14, 2024.
Mr. Mabai said he went to the Hisbah office for an interview with the Public Relations Officer of Hisbah, the state-owned security outfit following an alleged shooting of a resident of the state by Hisbah police. However, upon arrival at the Hisbah office, he was arrested and detained.
CWPPF said: “We find it disturbing that a journalist is subjected to such abuse of his fundamental rights by Hisbah, a state owned security outfit. Arbitrary arrest and detention of journalists in the course of their work not only violates the basic principles of democracy, it also represents a disregard for the rule of law and is a violation of the people’s right to access information.”
The Coalition urged the Katsina state government to immediately conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and ensure that everyone involved in the arrest and detention of the journalist is brought to book.
CWPPF also urged the Katsina State government to ensure that journalists in the state are provided a free and safe environment to discharge their duties without fear of reprisal.
It pointed out that: “The critical and constitutional role of journalists is central to the survival of democracy, and protection of human rights. As such, the safety of journalists must be held sacrosanct. Governments at all levels are hereby called upon to respect and protect the freedom of the press.”
The CWPPF is a group of media and civil society organisations committed to upholding democracy and good governance by protecting the ethos of whistleblowing, freedom of expression and press freedom. It comprises of 17 non-governmental organisations and media outlets.
