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Articles

CJOC: Vol. 5 No. 1, June 2018

A Converted Democrat? Profiling the Attacks on Nigerian Journalists During Buhari's Civilian Regime (2015-2017)

  • Ben-Collins E. Ndinojuo & Aniefiok Udoudo
Submitted
July 9, 2018
Published
2018-06-19

Abstract

This study investigates the attacks on Nigerian journalists during the first half of President Mohammadu Buhari's civilian administration (2015-2017). Buhari had promised in his electioneering campaign to be a converted democrat, implying that the new democratic rule would not take after his dictatorship of 1983 to 1985 when he harassed and jailed reporters as a military head of state. In spite of his government's recent press freedom claim, our findings show succinctly that no fewer than 38 newsmen and women were arrested or harassed and at least one killed by gunmen in the two-year period. Interestingly, none of the cases was linked directly to Buhari personally, unlike his term as a military dictator. Nevertheless, the cases of abuse recorded so far is an indication that his government should initiate actions that safeguard the social responsibility credential of journalists.