Nigerian court orders journalist kept in custody over report, renewing concerns over media freedom

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A decision by a court in Nigeria to keep an investigative journalist in custody has sparked widespread outrage, renewing concerns about media freedom in the country.Daniel Ojukwu, with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, or FIJ, a local investigative media house, was jailed on a 12-count charge for allegedly violating the country’s cybercrime act, pending a bail hearing. The court's decision was issued on Tuesday.The law has long been seen as a tool to censor journalists in Nigeria, where journalists are exposed to political persecution over reports.Nigeria is ranked 112th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders — only improving by 10 places since 2025.At least 29 journalists have faced prosecution under Nigeria’s cybercrimes law since it was enacted in 2015, the Committee to Protect Journalists said in a report in October 2024.Ojukwu was arrested for a report on the alleged financial mismanagement