Former Kano State Commissioner for Information, Internal Affairs, Youth, Sports and Culture, Malam Muhammad Garba, has cautioned the Kano State Government against intimidating journalists and urged it to embrace press freedom as a pillar of democratic governance.
READ ALSO: Kano govt reacts to report ranking state among top press freedom violators
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja, where Garba’s remarks followed growing criticism from local and international media rights organizations over the state government’s handling of the press. The latest report by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), which promotes social justice through investigative journalism, listed Kano among the top three Nigerian states with the highest violations of press freedom in 2024.
Garba emphasized that genuine collaboration between the government and the media promotes transparency, builds public trust, and enhances citizens’ understanding of government policies.
He said a government confident enough to engage the press constructively demonstrates both strength and accountability, noting that press freedom should be measured not by awards or ceremonies but by journalists’ ability to report without fear of retaliation.
Garba, a former president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), noted that mutual respect and open communication between the state and the media are essential for credible governance. He criticized the state government’s claim of promoting free speech while allegedly using state institutions to intimidate journalists.
He stressed that the media serves as a partner in national development, and respecting press freedom remains a constitutional duty and a mark of responsible leadership.
Garba expressed concern over the government’s dismissal of the WSCIJ report as “misleading and malicious,” saying the increasing record of arrests, intimidation, and restrictive policies suggests a troubling pattern.
He cited incidents such as the directive to investigate Daily Nigerian publisher Jaafar Jaafar over a corruption report, the arrest of Dan’uwa Rano TV founder Ibrahim Ishaq Dan’uwa, and the detention of Kano Times reporters Buhari Rano and Ismail Auwal alongside Abdulaziz Aliyu of Waraka Online TV. He also referenced the August 2024 attack on a Channels Television crew by machete-wielding assailants during a protest in Kano.
Garba condemned restrictive measures including bans on live political programmes and warnings against what the government termed “provocative questions,” describing them as forms of censorship that weaken democracy.
As a member of the steering committee of the International Forum on Ethical Journalism, Garba urged Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration to reverse such trends and adopt a more open and media-friendly approach that ensures journalists’ safety and freedom.
He concluded that democracy flourishes only when the government and the media work together in an atmosphere of mutual respect and accountability.
