IPI Nigeria condemns police invasion of Kaduna TV station

The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria has condemned an alleged police invasion of the JKD TV Hamada Radio Network in Millennium City, Kaduna State. The organization called on Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu to identify and sanction the officers involved, describing the deployment of heavily armed personnel to a media organization as a troubling sign of repression.

The incident reportedly occurred in connection with a video produced by the station regarding Ibrahim Masari, a special adviser to President Bola Tinubu. During the operation, police allegedly sought to arrest journalist Zainab Yabagi, leading to the arrest of the station’s General Manager, Charles Abah, and a security guard. IPI Nigeria urged the police to refrain from intervening in civil disputes and to stop being used to intimidate journalists.

In a related discussion regarding police conduct and transparency, concerns have been raised about the Inspector-General of Police linking low officer morale to members of the public recording them during official duties. Critics argue that recording police is a legal right that serves to highlight illegalities and abuses, and have questioned why similar transparency, such as recording court proceedings, is not standard practice in the justice system.