On February 28, 2024, the International Press Institute (IPI), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) submitted a petition to the authorities in Nigeria demanding redress for the killing of student journalist Onifade Emmanuel Pelumi. The petition was individually delivered to the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Information and Culture, the Commissioner General of Police, and the Office of the Attorney General.
Onifade, who was an intern at Gboah TV, an online television channel based in Lagos, was hit by a bullet while covering the #EndSARS protests in October 2020. There has been no progress regarding the case, and to date, no one has been held responsible for the young reporter’s death. The body of Pelumi has also not been released to the family for burial, amounting to almost four years of trauma for his family and colleagues.
Nigeria has obligations at the national, regional, and international levels to protect and promote media freedom and freedom of expression, the right to life, the right to human dignity, and the right to personal security. These principles are clearly laid out in the Nigerian Constitution, the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
In the case of Norbert Zongo v. Burkina Faso, the African Court highlighted that a State’s failure to investigate, prosecute, and convict those responsible for the murder of a journalist inhibits other journalists’ freedom of expression. Such a failure invokes fear in members of the media, hinders confidence in government institutions, and paralyzes the free flow of information.
In light of the above, IPI, CPJ, and MFWA requested the authorities to ensure the following:
- Onifade Emmanuel Pelumi’s remains are released to his family
- An effective and impartial investigation into the killing of the journalist is carried out and those responsible are held to account
- Rights-respecting policing is implemented and upheld in Nigeria
