(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Justice Minister Kanu Agabi, RSF expressed its concern further to the Nigerian government’s announcement that it would prosecute foreign journalists who write “malicious falsehoods.” “We fear that the government will describe any information it wishes to keep hushed up as ‘malicious falsehoods’,” stated Robert Ménard. “Having supported a resolution […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Justice Minister Kanu Agabi, RSF expressed its concern further to the Nigerian government’s announcement that it would prosecute foreign journalists who write “malicious falsehoods.” “We fear that the government will describe any information it wishes to keep hushed up as ‘malicious falsehoods’,” stated Robert Ménard. “Having supported a resolution at the last meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights encouraging Equatorial Guinea to consolidate its human rights situation, Nigeria should in fact be setting an example in this field.” RSF called on the government to publicly withdraw this statement of its intention, which even before being implemented represents a serious attack on press freedom.
According to information gathered by RSF, on 24 April 2002, Minister Agabi threatened to prosecute foreign journalists who come to Nigeria and write “malicious falsehoods” about the country. The government’s statement follows the publication of an article in the 15 April issue of the European edition of the American weekly magazine “Time” which reported that foreign journalists were given envelopes containing 50,000 nairas (approx. US$438; 450 euros) by government representatives at a conference on “honest and accurate reporting”. The minister of information, who organised the conference, severely criticised the American television channel CNN’s coverage of inter-community riots in Lagos. On 23 April, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said he was “enraged” by the article published in “Time” magazine, and ordered an investigation. A number of international correspondents confirmed that they had received – and returned – envelopes containing money.
