Abuja, Nigeria – Human rights advocacy group, Global Rights, has condemned what it describes as the persistent and unlawful use of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015 by the Nigeria Police Force to clamp down on journalists, civic actors, and dissenting voices across the country.
In an open letter addressed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and signed by its Executive Director, Abiodun Baiyewu, the organisation decried the “weaponisation” of the Act—particularly Section 24, against press freedom and civic space, despite its amendment in 2024 to narrow its scope.
The group pointed out that instead of using the law strictly to combat online fraud and cyber-related offences as originally intended, police officers have selectively applied it to criminalize dissent, intimidate journalists, and suppress public criticism of government officials.
Global Rights cited the arrest of investigative journalist Daniel Ojukwu in 2024, following his report on alleged corruption in the Presidency, and the recent detention of journalist Hassan Mai-Waya Kangiwa after publishing an exposé on neglect at Kangiwa General Hospital, Kebbi State.
“These are not isolated cases,”the letter stated. “Between January and August 9, 2025, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) documented 54 verified cases of press freedom violations across Nigeria, with the majority linked to security agencies, particularly the police.”
The organisation reminded the police leadership of the 2022 ECOWAS Court ruling in SERAP v. Nigeria, which declared Section 24 of the Cybercrime Act incompatible with Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
It also referenced Section 4 of the Nigeria Police Act 2020, which mandates the force to protect citizens’ rights, stressing that continued arrests under the Cybercrime Act contravene this duty.
Global Rights made the following appeals to the IGP:
Issue directives to deprioritise arrests under Section 24 of the Cybercrime Act.
Collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Justice and civil society to develop clear guidelines for implementing the Act.
Publicly affirm the police’s commitment to press freedom, freedom of expression, and civic rights.
A Threat to Democracy
The letter warned that continued harassment of journalists risks entrenching mass censorship, repression, and democratic backsliding.
“Nigeria cannot strengthen its democracy by silencing dissent,” Baiyewu wrote. “Instead, protecting civic freedoms will bolster accountability, transparency, and ultimately, good governance.”
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