Punish journalists’ killers

THE growing impunity surrounding the murder of journalists across the world is a damning indictment of governments’ commitment to press freedom, accountability and the rule of law. When those who kill journalists walk free, it is not only the victims who are denied justice; society itself is robbed of the truth, while those seeking to suppress it are emboldened.

Governments must end this culture of impunity by strengthening investigations, prosecuting perpetrators and ensuring that attacks on media practitioners carry consequences.

The latest report by UNESCO, published on November 2, revealed that global impunity for journalist killings has increased for the first time since the agency began monitoring the trend in 2012.

The rate climbed to 86 per cent in the 2024–2025 period, from 85 per cent in the preceding biennium. Though seemingly marginal, the increase reflects a deeply troubling reality: those who murder journalists continue to escape justice, making a mockery of international commitments to protect press freedom.

According to the report, 189 journalists were killed in 2024 and 2025, a 20 per cent increase over the previous two years. Of this number, 127 were killed in conflict zones, with the State of Palestine recording the highest number of deaths. Even more alarming is the growing use of drones in targeted attacks, which accounted for 50 journalist deaths, or 40 per cent of killings in conflict zones.

These figures should shock governments into action, particularly in conflict-affected countries where journalists risk their lives to document atrocities, expose human rights abuses and provide the public with information that powerful interests would rather keep hidden.

The worst attacks occur in despotic jurisdictions, while the Western democracies record the fewest assaults.

Deliberately targeting media practitioners, including those wearing clearly identifiable press vests or travelling in marked vehicles, is an assault on the freedom of the press and a grave violation of international humanitarian law. Such crimes must not be dismissed as inevitable casualties of war or allowed to disappear into the fog of conflict.

Nigeria, unfortunately, has its own woeful record. The UNESCO report indicates that the country has failed to secure justice in 12 of the 13 cases of journalists killed for their work since 2006. This is an appalling failure that exposes the inability or unwillingness of successive administrations to protect media practitioners and bring their killers to account.

The figures are reinforced by a report from the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, which documented 1,326 press freedom violations and 28 journalist deaths in Nigeria over nine years.

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One particularly disturbing case is that of Pelumi Onifade, a reporter with Gboah TV, who was found dead on October 24, 2020. Onifade was covering the #EndSARS protests in Agege, Lagos, but his body was reportedly recovered in Ikorodu. An inquest into his death has been ongoing since 2024, raising troubling questions about the pace of justice and the determination of authorities to establish what happened and hold those responsible accountable.

Similarly, data from SBM Intelligence identified at least 94 major targeted attacks on journalists between 2019 and 2025, including 32 kidnappings and 24 instances of brutality by security personnel.

Clearly, the dangers confronting Nigerian journalists extend far beyond murder. Arbitrary arrests, intimidation, abductions, physical assaults and other forms of harassment have become persistent threats to the media’s constitutional responsibility to hold those in power accountable. Particularly disturbing is the involvement of security personnel, whose statutory duty is to protect citizens and enforce the law, in attacks against the very people exposing abuses of power.

A government cannot credibly claim to uphold the rule of law while its agents harass, assault or unlawfully detain journalists performing their professional duties. Nor can it profess commitment to democracy while allowing those who silence critical voices through violence to escape punishment.

Freedom of expression is guaranteed under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Nigeria is a signatory. These obligations go beyond issuing statements in support of press freedom. They require governments to protect journalists, investigate attacks, prosecute offenders and provide effective remedies for victims.

There is evidence that progress is possible. UNESCO reports that in non-conflict countries, impunity has declined from 94 per cent in 2012 to 77 per cent in 2026. This improvement demonstrates that sustained investment in credible investigations, effective prosecutions and protective measures can make a difference. Nigeria has no justification for allowing its own record to remain so dismal.

The Federal Government and state authorities must therefore move beyond routine condemnations whenever journalists are attacked or killed. Every unresolved murder must be subjected to a credible investigation, with findings made public and perpetrators brought before the courts. The case of Pelumi Onifade, among others, must not be allowed to languish indefinitely.

The police and other security agencies must establish clear protocols for responding to attacks on journalists, ensure prompt and impartial investigations, and sanction officers implicated in abuses. The judiciary, in turn, must ensure that such cases receive diligent attention rather than become casualties of interminable delays. Authorities must also end the practice of shielding influential individuals, political actors and security operatives implicated in violations.

Ultimately, impunity is an invitation to repeat these crimes. Every journalist whose killer escapes justice sends a dangerous message that those who seek to expose wrongdoing can be eliminated without consequences. Every assault left unpunished emboldens the next attacker.

A society that cannot protect those who gather and report the truth has little basis for claiming to uphold democratic freedoms. Journalists must not have to choose between doing their jobs and staying alive.