The Nigeria Police Force has been implicated in 118 of 245 civic space violations documented in a new report by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) on the state of journalism and civic space in the country.
The findings were presented on Tuesday by Edetaen Ojo, Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda, during a virtual event hosted on X Spaces. The presentation drew on the 153-page report, which documents patterns of intimidation against media practitioners and civil society actors based on WSCIJ monitoring work.
Titled “Silenced Voices, Shrinking Space: Civic Freedoms Under Pressure,” the report indicates that state actors were responsible for 89 per cent of recorded violations, with the Nigeria Police Force accounting for 54 per cent of those incidents.
Police Respond With Training Initiative
Responding to the findings, Force spokesperson Aliyu Giwa said the police are training 10,000 officers in election security management and human rights ahead of the 2027 elections. Mr Giwa, who was represented by Kondom Joseph, a police superintendent, explained that while the police serve as gatekeepers for law and order, they regard journalists as core partners in society. He also emphasised that the Force maintains internal mechanisms, including the Public Complaints Bureau, to investigate officer misconduct, with outcomes ranging from dismissal to demotion.
Impunity Identified as Core Challenge
In his remarks, Mr Ojo identified a culture of impunity as a primary challenge, noting that many violations occur because perpetrators believe they will not face transparent punishment. He called for legal reforms to close loopholes that allow laws to be used to restrict legitimate expression and assembly, and stressed that journalists are essential to democratic participation, accountability and the rule of law in Nigeria.
WSCIJ’s Executive Director and CEO, Motunrayo Alaka, urged media organisations to remain persistent in their advocacy despite the risk of state repression. She noted that documented threats are increasing, with a notable spike during recent election cycles since 2021. According to the report’s data, incidents rose significantly during election periods and public protests across 2023, 2024 and 2025. While journalists were historically the most affected group, recent trends show growing harassment directed at ordinary citizens in civic spaces.
Legal Safeguards and Accountability Gaps
Human rights lawyer Ayo Obe highlighted that although the constitution guarantees freedom of expression, journalists face targeted harassment. She warned against the use of laws on cyberbullying or criminal defamation by powerful figures to harass critics through arbitrary arrests, and identified a lack of independent discretion by police when handling reports involving public figures and politicians.
Peter Maduoma, Executive Director of the CLEEN Foundation, said there is a significant gap between security agencies and civil society regarding public trust. He noted that accountability must be a continuous process involving intelligence sharing and community policing at the state level.
The online programme also featured Nabilah Usman, General Manager of Radio Now 95.3 FM, who moderated the event.
How the Data Was Compiled
The 2025 Journalism and Civic Space Status Report presents an analysis of reported civic space violations documented through systematic monitoring of reports published by 54 media organisations between January and December 2025. The report stated that data was collected through continuous monitoring of reports on civic space violations across physical and digital spaces, with every incident verified through cross-checking against multiple credible sources before inclusion in the dataset. Where additional context was required, Key Informant Interviews were conducted.
To avoid duplication, incidents reported by multiple media organisations were counted as a single verified incident. The 245 incidents analysed were referenced in reports published by 54 media organisations, comprising 16 newspapers with print and online editors, 26 online-only news platforms, 10 television stations and two radio stations.
The report concluded that Nigeria’s civic space remains under significant pressure despite the country’s democratic system and constitutional guarantees of fundamental rights. It also identified the Nigeria Police Force as being involved in 118 of the 219 incidents attributed to state actors.
