Amnesty raises alarm over police treatment of Kaduna journalist Zainab Salihu Yabagi

Crime Diary, News

KADUNA, Nigeria (NPA) — Amnesty International Nigeria has raised concerns over what it described as a shrinking civic space in Nigeria, following the declaration of Kaduna journalist Zainab Salihu Yabagi as wanted by the state police command over a video explainer concerning Ibrahim Masari, a Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu.

The rights group said the development was part of what it described as an increasingly worrying pattern in which journalists, activists and human rights defenders face arrest, intimidation, harassment, prosecution and other reprisals in connection with their work.

According to Amnesty, heavily armed police officers invaded the Kaduna studios of JKD Radio/Television in Millennium City on September 11, 2026, while searching for Yabagi.

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The group said the officers initially cited a “stolen phone” in connection with their search for the journalist, but the operation was linked to a video explainer produced by the station concerning Masari.

During the operation, the station’s General Manager, Charles Abah, and a security guard were arrested and detained for more than seven hours, according to reports cited by Amnesty.

Amnesty condemned the declaration of Yabagi as wanted and the raid on the media organisation, warning that such actions could further restrict the ability of journalists and media organisations to report on issues of public interest without fear of reprisals.

The rights group said the targeting of journalists over their professional activities threatened press freedom and contributed to what it described as a broader erosion of civic space in Nigeria.

It urged the authorities to end what it described as the harassment and intimidation of JKD Radio/Television and allow journalists to carry out their professional duties without undue interference.

Other media and rights organisations, including the International Press Institute Nigeria and the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, have also expressed concern over the incident and called for due process, restraint and dialogue.