The International Press Centre (IPC) has expressed deep concern over the recent unwarranted surveillance and intimidation of its premises by law enforcement agencies in Lagos, Nigeria.
In a press statement issued by the centre, Melody Akinjiyan, Press Freedom Officer at IPC, disclosed that on June 11, 2024, two police officers approached an IPC staff member at the entrance of the office, claiming to be investigating a press conference held on June 6, 2024, regarding planned activities for June 12th anniversary.
The police officers, the statement noted, refused to identify themselves and admitted that their superiors sanctioned their presence to investigate whether IPC was planning a nationwide protest. IPC staff correctly refuted this claim, stating that the centre is not planning or organizing any protest.
This incident, the statement note further, follows a similar visit by officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Watch on June 7, 2024, who also demanded information about an alleged protest.
IPC management has therefore demanded an immediate halt to these actions, which it says, undermine the civic space and constitute another dimension to the attacks on press freedom and free speech in Nigeria.
It explains that IPC is a media resource institution that promotes media freedom, journalist safety, media independence, and access to the media for marginalized groups. It also hosts events, including press conferences, for diverse interest groups and individuals. The centre's management emphasizes that it is not planning any protest and urges an end to these unwarranted actions.
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