:format(webp)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/grupoclarin/Y2QOC434RBCJZHP7HXIJIOWLXA.jpg "Arrest of journalist in Nigeria sparks criticism")
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The arrest of a Nigerian journalist last week sparked criticism over worsening press freedom in the West African country.
Daniel Ojukwu of the Investigative Journalism Foundation disappeared last Wednesday in the economic center of Lagos. His family and his employer learned Friday that he was being held in a police station for allegedly violating the Cybercrime Act, often criticized as a censorship tool.
The arrest of Ojukwu, who was later transferred to the capital Abuja, follows his report into alleged financial mismanagement of more than 147 million naira ($104,600) involving a senior government official, according to the foundation for the one who works.
Nigeria ranks 112th out of 180 countries in the most recent World Press Freedom Index compiled by the organization Reporters Without Borders. The country is known for its harsh environment for journalists, who face kidnapping, arrest and prosecution, usually after reporting on the chronic corruption and bad governance plaguing the oil-rich country.
At least 25 journalists have been prosecuted under the Cybercrime Law since its introduction in 2015, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. They include eight detainees under President Bola Tinubu, whose government, in power since May last year, is touted as one that promotes press freedom.
The Cybercrime Law was amended this year to remove some harsh provisions, but police still use it to “silence journalists and critics,” Amnesty International’s Nigeria office said.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris Malagi told The Associated Press that he is making efforts to resolve the case and that he is “aware of the matter.” Local and international civil society groups have condemned the detention.