By Abdulaziz Ibrahim
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) today held its third edition of its Newsroom Engagement Series in Adamawa State, bringing together journalists for a one-day workshop focused on Navigating Legal Challenges, Laws that Criminalize Journalism, and Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).
The workshop provided a timely platform to examine the increasing use of legal tools to suppress journalistic work in Nigeria and offered practical guidance for reporters and editors navigating a shrinking civic space.
Delivering one of the keynote presentations, Mr. Idris Akinbajo, Managing Editor of Premium Times, spoke on “Operational Strategies for Journalists and Media Organisations to Avoid Legal Repressions.” He emphasized the need for proactive editorial measures, institutional safeguards, and legal literacy to avoid the pitfalls of politically motivated litigation. He warned that non-compliance with existing regulations such as tax laws can become deliberate traps used by powerful actors to suppress critical media.
Also addressing participants, Busola Ajibola, CJID’s Deputy Director for the Journalism Program, led a session on the gender nuances of press freedom violations in Nigeria. She highlighted the disproportionate impact of challenges on female journalists
“Now more than ever, it is important to understand how legal threats and SLAPPs wear journalists down. These lawsuits are used not because journalists aren’t reporting the truth, but because asking questions is seen as an aberration,” she stated.
The workshop also featured critical legal perspectives from Mr. Idi Halidu, Esq., Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yola Branch, and Barr. Abba Hakim Abubakar, both of whom dissected the statutory and procedural challenges facing media practitioners. They urged journalists to understand their rights and engage legal experts when faced with attempts to criminalize their work.
A practical session introduced participants to CJID’s Press Attack Tracker a dedicated platform for reporting and documenting violations against journalists across Africa. The tool, available at pressattack.africa, helps monitor attacks on the press and facilitates advocacy for justice and accountability.
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