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Nigeria: Journalists detained, harassed, assaulted while covering state elections

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Nigerian authorities should investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the detention, harassment, and assault of journalists nationwide during the March 9 gubernatorial and state assembly elections, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Journalists covering the elections told CPJ they were detained and harassed by security services or other armed individuals, denied access to report on polling stations, forced to delete photographs, and assaulted.

“The freedom and fairness of any election requires that journalists are permitted to work unimpeded and without fear,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ Africa program coordinator, in New York. “Nigeria must act to ensure journalists can work safely during elections, and the first step is to hold responsible those who attacked or impeded the media during the recent polls.”

Nonso Isiguzo, a news editor with the privately owned Nigeria Info radio station, told CPJ that he was traveling on election day between polling stations to report on elections in the Ahoada West local government area in Rivers state when armed men, some wearing camouflage uniforms, stopped their Nigeria Info-branded car, told Isiguzo and his driver, Sunday Isiitu, to get out, and took their car keys. Shortly afterwards, a second car carrying five others whom Isiguzo identified as journalists with accredited press tags was also stopped at the same point on the road, he said.

“I said, ‘I’m a journalist. I’m just here to monitor the election’,” Isiguzo told CPJ. But the armed men told Isiguzo, without elaborating, that their “boss” was being held by the military and the journalists would only be released once the boss was free.

The men released Isiguzo, Isiitu, and the other journalists after holding them on the side of the road for two hoursafter which Isiguzo did not continue reporting in the area, he told CPJ.

CPJ could not immediately determine the identities of the five people from the second car.

On March 10, Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission suspended all election processes in Rivers due to “widespread disruption,” including violence and hostage taking, according to a statement posted on the official election administration body’s verified Twitter account.

Also on election day, Segun Adewale, a local politician known as “Aeroland” and a member of the People’s Democratic Party, hit and shoved BBC reporter Ajoke Ulohotse in Nigeria’s southwestern Lagos-Abeokuta area, according to a report by BBC Pidgin, which included video of the incident, and a BBC statement emailed to CPJ.

“We will be notifying the police in due course following an incident involving a BBC reporter in Lagos-Abeokuta on 9 March,” the BBC statement said.

Adewale claimed the BBC “lied” and he did not “beat up a lady,” in a tweet from a social media account linked to his official webpage. CPJ emailed Adewale for comment but received an error message stating that his account was no longer active.

In Damatuzu, a local government area in Nigeria’s northeastern Yobe state, members of the Nigerian military detained for over an hour journalists Musa Mingyi, with the privately owned Blueprint newspaper, and Hamisu Kabir Matazu, of the privately owned Daily Trust newspaper, according to Mingyi and the Daily Trust.

“We told them we are journalists and we are covering [the] election,” Mingyi told CPJ. “They did not harm us, but they denied us access to go do our rightful duties.”

statement issued on the Nigerian army’s Facebook page by Njoka Irabor, the army’s acting assistant director of public relations, said “no journalist was held hostage” and the journalists’ car was stopped as part of “routine checks on vehicles as part of security measures during the elections.”

CPJ called Irabor repeatedly for comment and was disconnected; texts to his number were not immediately returned.

Kunle Sanni, a reporter for the privately owned Premium Times news website, told CPJ he was held for nearly 30 minutes in the Shendam local government area of Plateau state and forced by three men who identified themselves as “farmers” to delete photos of what he believed were underage voters.

After witnessing Sanni photograph children holding voting cards, the men took him aside, charged his phone because it had died, searched through his apps (including his social media accounts), and deleted images, Sanni said.

“They [even] went into the Google backup and deleted [photos],” Sanni said, but added he had already managed to send several photos to his editor.

Collin Ossai, a broadcast reporter with the privately owned Channels TV station, told CPJ that he, his cameraperson, and a radio journalist with Speed FM were blocked from reporting at a polling station in the Esan Central local government area in Edo state.

Ossai said a man identifying himself as a state assembly candidate blocked their car from approaching the polling station at around 7:35 a.m., as the journalists were trying to see if election materials had arrived on time.

Ossai told CPJ that he exited the car and tried negotiate passage with the candidate. But about 10 men surrounded the car and began pushing him and telling him he could not enter the polling station, he said. The journalists left without gaining access, and Ossai said that “big guys” intimidated him into not bringing his camera out while trying to cover several other polling stations in the area.

In Kaduna state, a group of more than 20 men attacked Shinzong Bala, a reporter with the publicly funded Radio Nigeria station, and Amos Tauna, a reporter with the privately owned Daily Post newspaper, while they were investigating alleged election-related arrests and burning cars around the town of Zonkwa’s police station, Bala and Tauna told CPJ.

“We tried to identify ourselves… we were even wearing media vests that were given to us by INEC [the Independent National Electoral Commission],” Bala told CPJ.

The men attacked the journalists with stones and wooden sticks, took Bala’s phone, recorder, and car keys, as well as Tauna’s press pass, the journalists said.

Bala managed to retrieve his belongings after paying the men, but said his clothes were ripped and his body was bruised in the attack. Tauna said his pass was not returned.

CPJ contacted Yakubu Soba, a public relations officer for the Nigerian police in Kaduna, via WhatsApp for comment. Soba requested more specifics about the incident for the police to be able to follow up, which CPJ provided.

During Nigeria’s 2019 federal and state elections, CPJ worked with local civil society and press freedom groups including YIAGACivil Society Situation RoomPremium Times Centre for Investigative JournalismInstitute for Media and Society, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, and the Lagos-based International Press Centre to track press freedom issues.

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Iran War Disrupts Oil Supply, Global Loss Hits $50bn

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The global oil market has recorded losses exceeding $50bn following massive supply disruptions triggered by the ongoing Iran war, which has now stretched to nearly 50 days.

Data from energy analytics firm Kpler showed that more than 500 million barrels of crude oil and condensate have been wiped off the global market since the crisis began in late February, making it the largest energy supply disruption in modern history.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, on Friday said the Strait of Hormuz had been reopened after a ceasefire agreement reached in Lebanon.

However, tensions escalated again on Saturday as Tehran warned it could shut the strategic waterway if the United States sustains its blockade of Iranian ports.

Also, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism that a deal to end the conflict could be reached “soon,” although he did not provide a definite timeline.

Analysts warned that the scale of disruption could have prolonged effects on global energy stability, with shocks expected to linger for months or even years.

Providing context, Principal Analyst at Wood Mackenzie, Iain Mowat, said the 500 million barrels lost is equivalent to grounding global aviation demand for 10 weeks, halting all road transport worldwide for 11 days, or shutting down the entire global oil supply for five days.

Further estimates showed that the lost volume is nearly equal to one month of oil demand in the United States or more than a month’s supply for Europe. It also represents about six years of fuel consumption by the U.S. military and could power global shipping activities for approximately four months.

The crisis has significantly affected oil-producing nations in the Gulf, with output losses reaching about eight million barrels per day in March—roughly equivalent to the combined production of two of the world’s largest oil companies.

Jet fuel exports from major producers, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, dropped sharply from 19.6 million barrels in February to just 4.1 million barrels recorded across March and April combined. Analysts said the shortfall could have powered about 20,000 round-trip international flights.

With crude prices averaging around $100 per barrel since the onset of the conflict, the lost volumes translate to an estimated $50bn in revenue. Experts noted that this figure is equivalent to about one per cent of Germany’s annual Gross Domestic Product, or roughly the size of the economies of smaller European countries.

Meanwhile, global onshore crude inventories have declined by about 45 million barrels in April alone, while total production outages have risen to approximately 12 million barrels per day since late March.

Industry experts cautioned that unless a lasting resolution is reached, the disruption could intensify volatility in global oil markets, worsen inflationary pressures, and further strain fragile economies worldwide.

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Oseni Secures Prestigious City People Political Award Nomination

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A member of the House of Representatives representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency and Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Aderemi Oseni, has been nominated for a Special Award in Politics at the 2026 City People Political Awards.

The nomination was conveyed in a letter dated April 13, 2026, signed by the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of City People Magazine, Seye Kehinde.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by Oseni’s media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Thursday.

According to the statement, the lawmaker earned the nomination in recognition of his “outstanding contributions to politics in Oyo State, particularly in Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency.”

The organisers noted that Oseni emerged as a nominee following a comprehensive review of performances across sectors by the award’s selection committee.

Part of the letter read, “Having performed creditably well in your sector last year, the Organising Committee presented you as a nominee in your sector.”

The award ceremony is scheduled to hold on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at Etal Hall, Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, at 4pm.

The City People Awards is an annual event that recognises individuals who have distinguished themselves in governance, public service and other sectors of national development.

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Kaduna Electric to prosecute, expose attackers of staff

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The Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company has announced a crackdown on individuals who assault its staff, warning that offenders will face prosecution and public exposure.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the company expressed concern over what it described as a “disturbing surge” in attacks on its field workers and third-party partners.

It noted that the affected personnel were mainly engaged in meter installation, revenue collection and maintenance of electricity infrastructure.

According to the firm, the increasing cases of harassment, physical assault and unlawful detention of its workers pose a serious threat to employee safety and the stability of electricity service delivery across its franchise areas.

The Deputy Managing Director, Abubakar Mohammed, said the company would no longer tolerate any form of aggression against its workforce.

“Let this serve as a clear warning to anyone who engages in the assault of our staff. Kaduna Electric will pursue every case to its logical conclusion,” he said.

“We will work closely with security agencies to ensure offenders are brought to justice and face the full weight of the law,” Mohammed added.

He further disclosed that the company would publicly reveal the identities of individuals found culpable.

According to him, names, photographs and other details of offenders would be published on the company’s official platforms as well as in national and local media.

“This measure is intended to ensure accountability and serve as a strong deterrent. Anyone who chooses to attack our personnel should be prepared not only to face prosecution but also public exposure,” he added.

The company stressed that assaults on utility workers attract serious legal and financial consequences, noting that offenders risk criminal charges that may lead to fines or imprisonment.

It added that perpetrators could also face civil liabilities, including compensation for medical treatment, psychological trauma and loss of work hours.
While condemning the attacks, Kaduna Electric urged customers to adopt peaceful and lawful means of resolving disputes.

It advised aggrieved customers to channel complaints through its customer service units or appropriate regulatory bodies.

The management reaffirmed its commitment to protecting its workforce and partners, stressing that a safe working environment is essential for delivering reliable and efficient electricity services.

Although disputes between electricity providers and consumers are often linked to billing issues, metering challenges and service delivery concerns, the company maintained that such matters must be resolved through dialogue, insisting that violence against its staff will no longer be tolerated.

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