The Chairman of Rijau Local Government Area in Niger State, Danladi Kombo Uganda, has stirred controversy following his directive authorizing the arrest of journalists who publish what he described as “defamatory” photographs of elected political leaders.
In a memo titled “New Procedures for All Media Members in Rijau Local Government Area of Niger State,” the chairman instructed security operatives to arrest any journalist who shares images of politicians deemed defamatory, warning that such actions could be interpreted as threats to the lives of the officials concerned.
“We hereby instruct all security officers in Rijau Local Government to: Arrest any media person who posts a photo of a politician, especially elected leaders, in the name of defamation. They will face the Security Agency to answer questions about it,” the statement read.
The directive further cautioned that marking, altering, or removing images of political leaders was tantamount to crossing a red line and would be met with punishment.
“Furthermore, there is no evidence or reason to cancel the picture of a politician… Doing so is tantamount to threatening his life, and whoever does so will face punishment from security forces, no matter who he is,” it added.
Although the statement referenced constitutional rights to freedom of expression under the 1999 Constitution, it paradoxically warned against the removal or modification of political images, asserting that such acts were unacceptable.
“Finally, there is no stopping you from challenging a politician as long as he does what is right… But don’t dare take down his picture,” it concluded.
The directive has sparked backlash among media practitioners in the area, with many viewing it as a clampdown on press freedom. Media rights advocates have also condemned the move, labeling it a dangerous precedent that undermines democratic values and journalistic independence.
