Daniel Bwala, a former spokesman for the Atiku Abubakar 2023 Presidential Campaign and now a supporter of President Bola Tinubu, stated that journalists involved in criminal activities do not have immunity from arrest.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Bwala affirmed that the Tinubu administration respects free speech but emphasised that journalists, like any other individuals, must be accountable if involved in crimes.
Bwala said, “I will make bold to say that we are making appreciable progress with respect to free speech. And I can count nothing less than five prominent critics of this government who are walking freely.
“For those who are arrested, you have to deal with it on a case-by-case basis because even if you are a journalist, if you are involved in a crime, you don’t have immunity.
“That’s the point. Even if you are a lawyer or a journalist, if you are involved in a crime, you don’t have immunity.”
Despite his comments, there has been concern about the treatment of investigative journalists under the current administration.
Amnesty International and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) have condemned the detention of journalists by state security agents, likening it to practices from Nigeria’s military era and warning that it undermines press freedom.
In response to criticisms, Bwala suggested that journalists who believe they have been unlawfully detained should seek judicial redress.
“The other thing is that we have the courts to preserve the rights of the Nigerian people. If you are unlawfully detained or unlawfully arrested, you can approach the court for the enforcement of your fundamental human rights,” he said.
Bwala concluded that, in his view, President Tinubu’s administration protects the rights of Nigerians, unless proven otherwise.
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