In a stark condemnation of suppression of press freedom, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of a journalist, Ahmed Isa Sakpe, who was arrested and detained by the Niger State Police Command.
In a strongly worded press statement Tuesday evening, signed by its Executive Director, Y. Z. Ya’u CITAD revealed that Sakpe, an investigative reporter, is being held over allegations of cyberbullying and related offences; charges CITAD asserts are directly linked to his professional work.
According to CITAD, the arrest rekindled prevailing fears of a concerted effort by state actors to weaponize cybercrime legislation against critical voices.
It reaffirmed its commitment to defending digital rights and civic freedoms, insisting that “Journalists and human rights defenders must not be punished for speaking truth to power.”
CITAD described the detention as “deeply troubling” and indicative of a dangerous national trend where laws designed to combat cybercrime are being repurposed to criminalise dissent and investigative journalism.
The rights civil society organisation invoked Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, and Nigeria’s obligations under international human rights frameworks, arguing that the use of security agencies to intimidate the press “undermines democratic governance and weakens public trust in institutions.”
CITAD asserted that it is “particularly concerned by reports suggesting that the arrest may have been influenced by political actors within the Niger State Government,” warning that if corroborated, such interference would represent “a serious abuse of power and a direct assault on democratic accountability.”
The organisation highlighted a recurring pattern of repression in Niger State, noting a recent uptick in arrests and legal threats against government critics.
“Governance in a democratic setting demands tolerance of criticism, openness to scrutiny, and respect for the role of the media as a watchdog of society,” the statement read, stressing that “Criminalising dissent sets a dangerous precedent and risks normalising repression.”
CITAD therefore issued a four-point demand, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the arrested journalist; an independent review of the circumstances surrounding his arrest; an end to the use of cybercrime and defamation laws to silence journalists; and, stronger safeguards for press freedom in Niger State and across Nigeria.
CITAD called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene, demanding that he ensures that state governments are stopped from “weaponising law enforcement institutions against journalists, activists, and citizens exercising their constitutional rights.”
