International Press Centre Condemns Detention Of Kano Journalists By Nigerian Police

The command allegedly acted on the orders of the state Commissioner of Information, Ibrahim Waiya.

The International Press Centre (IPC), through its Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) Hub, has strongly condemned the reported harassment, intimidation, and detention of Buhari Abba Rano, Online Editor of Kano Times, and freelance journalist, Isma’il Auwa, by the Kano State Police Command.

The command allegedly acted on the orders of the state Commissioner of Information, Ibrahim Waiya.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the IPC decried the unlawful treatment of the journalists, emphasising the need to respect press freedom and uphold journalists’ rights to operate without fear or intimidation.

Speaking to Melody Akinjiyan, the Press Freedom Officer at IPC, Rano said that he had been invited by the Kano State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (CIID) under the Kano Police Command.

He honoured the invitation and during his visit to the command, he was detained for three hours and had his phone confiscated.
“I honoured their invitation yesterday and was detained for three hours and asked to come back tomorrow.
“This intimidation my colleague and I are going through is in connection to an opinion article published by Kano Times, which I did not author,” Rano stated.

Speaking on the incident, the Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, denounced the incident.

Arogundade said, “This action is highly condemnable, and the police alongside the Kano State Government must uphold their responsibility to respect everyone’s right to freedom of expression.
“The police must desist from being used to constantly punish journalists who carry out their duties.”

The SPJ-Hub therefore called on the Kano State Police Command and the Commissioner of Police to cease all forms of intimidation and harassment directed at Buhari Rano and Isma’il Auwa.

The organisation further urged authorities to guarantee the safety of the journalists and uphold the fundamental rights of the press in Nigeria.

The incident has raised concerns among media rights groups and civil society organisations, with growing calls for an end to the suppression of press freedom and the protection of journalists from undue harassment by state actors.