Federation Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) said the federal government remains committed to ending impunity and crimes against journalists in the country.
Malami said this during a political dialogue on protecting journalists on the occasion of the 2021 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists Tuesday in Abuja.
The event was organized by the Justice and Conflict Management in Nigeria program in collaboration with the European Union.
The minister, in a keynote address, argued that Nigeria operates a constitutional democracy that guarantees freedom of expression.
According to him, this is a conducive atmosphere that allows Nigerians to express their inalienable fundamental rights to a free ventilation of opinions.
“I am convinced that journalism is not a crime, rather there are apparent crimes committed that claim to practice journalism.
“Journalists are by no means targeted for witch hunts,” he said.
The attorney general, however, implored journalists to desist from sensational reporting that could threaten public peace.
“I call on journalists to refrain from false information, defamation, sedition, hate speech, blasphemy, incitement or inflammatory statements in their reporting that could jeopardize our cooperation as a nation and hinder the peace we enjoy.
“The national interest founded on the existence of companies must bind our patriotic commitment to advance the interest of the nation,” he said.
For his part, the Acting Attorney General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Umar, condemned all forms of crimes against journalists in view of the role journalists play in the development of democracy.
“Journalists help shape opinion, they can effectively engage government to provide determined leadership, and that is why the federal government is committed to ensuring the safety of journalists. “
In a presentation titled: “Ending Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists in Nigeria,” Professor Umaru Pate, Vice-Chancellor of Kashere Federal University, stressed the need for perpetrators of crimes against journalists to be brought to justice.
Nigeria News Agency reports that the UN declared November 2 the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists in Commemoration of the Murder of Two French Journalists in Mali in November 2013 .
The 2021 celebration highlights the pivotal role of the prosecution services, in investigating and prosecuting not only the murders, but also threats of violence against journalists.
Source: NAN
