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Nigerian journalists attacked, threatened while covering Bayelsa, Kogi selections
Nigerian authorities should investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the harassment of journalists working to cover the November 16 gubernatorial and federal assembly elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Armed men threatened and harassed reporters, security forces barred journalists from entering electoral buildings, and demonstrators threw stones at reporters trying to cover the elections, according to news reports and journalists who spoke to CPJ.
The elections in these two states followed nationwide elections in February, which were also marred by violence against journalists, as CPJ reported at the time.
“Journalists play an indispensable role in the conduct of credible elections and should never be the subject of threats, violence, or harassment,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, from Washington, D.C. “Nigerian authorities must investigate all allegations made by journalists about interference in their work covering the November 16 elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.”
In Kogi state, Chinedu Asadu, a reporter with the privately owned The Cable online newspaper, told CPJ in a phone call that police officers seized his cell phone for 15 minutes when he attempted to take photos of a politician giving money to women waiting to cast their votes. After police returned his phone, Asadu said another officer made threatening comments, and he feared the officer would harm him, so he left the polling place.
Lolafunke Ogunlolu, a journalist with the privately owned Africa Independent Television broadcaster, told CPJ in a phone call that a group of armed men threatened to beat her after they saw her film them assaulting a woman at a polling station in Aiyetorogbede, Kogi state.
Ogunlolu said the men, whose identities she could not determine, demanded she delete all the pictures and videos she took of them. Ogunlolu said one man was about to hit her and take her phone when another stopped him after recognizing Ogunlolu as a reporter with the station.
Two journalists with the privately owned Splash FM radio station, Tobi Kusimo and David Bello, told CPJ in phone conversations that a group of demonstrators in Aiyetoro Gbede, a town in Kogi state, threw stones at their van when they tried to interview a polling officer. The journalists said they fled after demonstrators broke their rear windshield and otherwise damaged their vehicle, and appeared angry enough to kill them.
“If we had waited for two additional seconds, only God knows what would have happened,” Bello told CPJ.
In a separate case, Sam Egwu, a journalist with the privately owned newspaper The Nation, and Sunday Amachi, a reporter with the government-owned Kogi State Radio broadcaster, told CPJ via phone that a group of demonstrators in Anyigba, in Kogi state, surrounded their car while they drove to a polling place and threw stones at their vehicle.
“In fact, they destroyed our vehicle. It was a miracle we left that place unhurt,” said Egwu.
Egwu and Amachi told CPJ that protesters alleging election interference barricaded all exit routes and surrounded their car. Protesters climbed on their car in an attempt to force the journalists out, but the demonstrators dispersed after security forces fired their weapons, Egwu said.
In Bayelsa state, four unidentified individuals wielding canes and bottles intercepted Adejumor Kabir, a reporter with the Premium Times newspaper, while he was traveling to the main office of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, he told CPJ via phone. The individuals forced his driver to leave, and drove Kabir to an isolated area in Opolo, in Yenagoa, the state capital, where they interrogated him for two hours, he told CPJ. Kabir said his abductors had mistaken him for a government official and, after questioning and accusing him of manipulating election results, they released him.
Kabir then traveled to the Independent National Electoral Commission office to cover the collation of the results, but police blocked him and other reporters from entering the building, even though they identified themselves as journalists, Kabir said. He said the officers told the journalists that they were working on orders from above not to admit members of the press.
CPJ’s calls and text messages to Oluwole Ozassi-Uzi, the Independent National Electoral Commission spokesperson, went unanswered. The head of voter education in Bayelsa State, Wilfred Ifogah, told journalists that security officials “misunderstood INEC instructions” when they bared reporters from entering the commission’s office, according to a report by Premium Times.
In a text message to CPJ, Nigerian police spokesperson Frank Mba said he was not aware of any assaults on journalists and said, “The safety and wellbeing of journalists and media practitioners generally was of paramount importance to the Nigeria Police Force.”
Air Commodore David Olumuyiwa Babalola, a consultant clinical pharmacist in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), has achieved an extraordinary milestone in Nigerian pharmacy practice, earning three prestigious honors at the 97th Annual National Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN).
Held from November 4 to 9, 2024, the conference celebrated Babalola’s exceptional contributions with the Biogenerics Integrity Award, the Pfizer Excellence Award, and the Fellowship of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (FPSN).
Babalola was recognized as the best overall public-sector hospital pharmacist in Nigeria, clinching the Biogenerics Integrity Award. This esteemed honor, accompanied by a ₦1,000,000 cash prize, celebrates excellence in patient care, career achievements, innovations, training, research, professional service, philanthropy, and leadership in public hospitals.
Adding to his accolades, he was one of four pharmacists nationwide to receive the Pfizer Excellence Award. This award highlights outstanding contributions to hospital and community pharmacy and includes a ₦250,000 cash prize, a commemorative plaque, and a certificate.
Representatives of Pfizer Nigeria presented the award during the conference’s grand closing banquet at Flairmore Event Centre, Uyo.
This achievement makes history as Babalola becomes the first pharmacist in the Nigerian Armed Forces to win a PSN-sponsored corporate award since its inception nearly two decades ago.
In his acceptance speech, Babalola expressed gratitude to Biogenerics Nigeria Ltd and Pfizer Nigeria for their sponsorship, which he said inspires excellence in hospital pharmacy practice.
He also acknowledged the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal HB Abubakar, for fostering an enabling environment for pharmacists within the NAF and for approving the implementation of the Pharmacists Consultant Cadre in the force.
Babalola’s accolades were further crowned by his conferment with the Fellowship of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (FPSN), the highest honor awarded to pharmacists in the country. This recognition, reserved for individuals who have rendered exemplary and meritorious service, solidifies Babalola’s status as a trailblazer in the field.
As the first pharmacist in the Nigerian Air Force to attain the rank of air commodore, Babalola’s career is marked by groundbreaking achievements.
His latest recognitions underscore his relentless commitment to advancing pharmacy practice in Nigeria and inspiring a new generation of pharmacists.
The investiture ceremony for his FPSN honor is slated for early 2025, promising yet another celebration of his outstanding contributions to the pharmacy profession and the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The Founder and Executive Director of the Temmy Helping Hands and Youth Empowerment Foundation, Mrs. (Pastor) Elizabeth Bakare, on Saturday unveiled the Ibadan Food Bank Project during the foundation’s 2024 annual convention in Ibadan.
The initiative tagged “Let Nobody Go to Bed Hungry,” aims at tackling food insecurity and hunger among Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations”.
Mega Icon Magazine recalled that a recent survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has highlighted the severe economic challenges faced by Nigerian households, revealing that two-third of the population struggle to afford healthy and nutritious meals.
The survey titled “Nigeria General Household Survey – Panel (GHS-Panel) Wave 5 (2023/2024)”, noted the worsening multidimensional poverty and the erosion of purchasing power due to the persistent rise in the cost of goods and services.
According to the report, approximately 63.8% of households have been forced to eat only a few kinds of food due to financial constraints. About 62.4% of respondents admitted worrying about food insufficiency, while 60.5% ate less than they thought they should.
“The situation has deteriorated significantly since the last survey, as the proportion of households expressing food insecurity concerns rose from 36.9% in the previous wave to 62.4% in the current one”, the report reads further.
Speaking at the unveiling in Ibadan, during the 2024 annual convention of the foundation, Mrs. Bakare described the alarming rise in hunger caused by the nation’s economic challenges, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the increasing exchange rate, which have led to soaring food prices.
She noted that these conditions have placed immense strain on widows, single parents, orphans, and other underprivileged groups, making it imperative to act swiftly.
The Ibadan Food Bank is set to provide food support to 2,500 individuals monthly, with plans to expand its reach to 30,000 beneficiaries annually by 2029 and 105,000 per annum by 2034.
The initiative incorporates several interventions, such as the free distribution of essential food items, a food subsidy programme offering discounted staples, and a mobile kitchen service providing one free meal daily.
Continuing, it includes outreach to prisons, orphanages, IDP camps, and leprosy centers, as well as educational meal subsidies for schools and centers for people with disabilities. The project also encourages self-reliance through a home farming initiative that offers seeds, tools, and training, and through food processing training to empower beneficiaries with sustainable livelihood skills.
Since its establishment in December 2023, Temmy Helping Hands has already made significant strides in alleviating hunger and poverty. Past achievements include food distributions during World Food Day celebrations and financial support for widows.
Bakare also announced an upcoming initiative, “Make This December One to Remember,” which will provide assistance to 500 vulnerable individuals during the festive season.
She called for partnerships to expand the scope and reach of the Ibadan Food Bank, urging individuals, organizations, and corporations to support the initiative through food donations, financial contributions, and volunteering.
Highlighting various ways to collaborate, she appealed for sponsorship of families or meals, establishment of endowment funds, employee volunteer programs, and media campaigns to raise awareness.
According to Bakare, such contributions would not only transform lives but also demonstrate a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainable development.
She thanked the awardees for their dedication to humanitarian service, urging everyone to join in the fight against hunger.
“Together, we can ensure that no one in Ibadan goes to bed hungry. Every act of kindness matters,” the Founder added.
The keynote address at the occasion was delivered by Dr. Ibraheem Okunlola Akinwale, an Assistant Director at the National Orientation Agency (NOA), who spoke on strategies for coping with the economic hardship in the country.
Speaking on behalf of other beneficiaries, Princess Oyedele Bolatito, from Oyo State WAZOBIA Widows commanded Temmy Helping Hands and Youth Empowerment Foundation for the laudable initiative, urging others to emulate such kind gesture.
A recent survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has highlighted the severe economic challenges faced by Nigerian households, revealing that two-thirds of the population struggle to afford healthy and nutritious meals. The survey, titled Nigeria General Household Survey – Panel (GHS-Panel) Wave 5 (2023/2024), underscores the worsening multidimensional poverty and the erosion of purchasing power due to the persistent rise in the cost of goods and services.
The report shows that approximately 63.8% of households have been forced to eat only a few kinds of food due to financial constraints. About 62.4% of respondents admitted worrying about food insufficiency, while 60.5% ate less than they thought they should. The situation has deteriorated significantly since the last survey, as the proportion of households expressing food insecurity concerns rose from 36.9% in the previous wave to 62.4% in the current one.
Power Outages and Access to Energy
The survey also sheds light on the nation’s energy crisis, revealing that Nigerian households experience an average of 6.7 power blackouts per week. While 82.2% of urban households have access to electricity, the figure drops to 40.4% in rural areas.
Cooking remains predominantly dependent on traditional methods, with 65% of households using three-stone stoves and 70.2% relying on firewood. However, the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is reportedly increasing.
Sanitation and Asset Ownership
In terms of sanitation, the report highlights that many households still lack basic toilet facilities, relying on bushes or streets for waste disposal. Access to clean drinking water is often through tube wells or boreholes, reflecting a lack of formal infrastructure in many areas.
On asset ownership, the survey indicates a decline since 2018/19. While two-thirds of households own mobile phones, only 21.3% have internet access. Housing ownership remains significant, with 70.4% of households owning their homes—80.1% in rural areas compared to 49.1% in urban centers.
The NBS report provides a stark reminder of the challenges many Nigerians face daily, from food insecurity and power outages to inadequate sanitation and declining asset ownership. It calls for urgent policy interventions to address these critical issues and improve the living standards of the population.
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