•Claims of state-sponsored media repression false – Minister
The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria has formally inducted the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, and two state governors into its “Book of Infamy” for alleged actions undermining media freedom.
The announcement was made on Tuesday during the IPI Nigeria’s second annual conference and 2025 Congress held in Abuja.
Alongside the police chief, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State and Governor Mohammed Umar Bago of Niger State were cited for specific acts of hostility toward the press.
According to the IPI, IGP Egbetokun earned his place on the list due to a failure to curb the arbitrary arrest of journalists across the country.
Governor Eno was cited for barring Channels TV reporters from covering government activities in Akwa Ibom, while Governor Bago was indicted for ordering the closure of Badeggi FM, a private radio station.
The institute noted that despite repeated interventions and appeals, both governors had refused to reverse their administrative decisions.
In a sharp departure from the rebuke of the police and state executives, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, was recognised and honoured for his proactive engagement with press freedoms.
Described as a listening head of a sensitive government agency, Ajayi was commended for acting on IPI interventions to correct past wrongs, notably removing Lanre Arogundade, the Executive Director of the International Press Centre, from a government watchlist where he had been placed for 40 years.
Despite the censure of top officials, the Federal Government used the platform to reaffirm its commitment to democratic accountability.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, addressing the theme “Addressing Media Repression in Nigeria,” maintained that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is fully aligned with global norms of media independence.
He argued that there is no formal or informal government policy seeking to repress the media today, urging stakeholders to distinguish between historical experiences and current realities.
To buttress his stance on the government’s preference for dialogue over coercion, the Minister cited a recent incident where a major newspaper published a false report regarding an alleged LGBTQ+ agreement.
Idris explained that rather than applying pressure or coercive measures, the government chose transparency by publishing the full text of the agreement and lodging a formal complaint through the independent media ombudsman.
He insisted that the attendance of Vice President Shettima at the event was further proof of the administration’s openness to continuous engagement.
Looking ahead to structural improvements in the media landscape, the Minister announced that Nigeria has been selected to host the Regional Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Institute for Africa.
The Centre, scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2026, is designed to operate as a neutral, knowledge-based platform to train journalists and citizens on ethical reporting and combating disinformation.
Idris assured the IPI, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and the Nigeria Union of Journalists that the government remains ready to work closely with them to modernise regulatory frameworks and expand the freedoms that sustain democracy.