‘Climate of fear’ for Nigeria’s journalists

Rights group Amnesty International says there has been a rise in threats and attacks on journalists in Nigeria, with members of the press operating under a “climate of fear”.

Its new report on media freedom in Nigeria denounces the country’s security forces for persecuting journalists who are critical of the authorities.

It says since the beginning of the year, 19 reporters have been detained by law enforcement agents. Journalists and bloggers quoted in the report say they were beaten and tortured during interrogations.

Amnesty has accused the police, the military and the country’s main intelligence agency, the Department of State Services, of being behind the clampdown.

In January the Nigerian security forces raided the offices of the Daily Trust newspaper over its coverage of the Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east of the country.

Nigerian security forces have often been accused of human rights abuses. They’ve repeatedly denied the allegations made against them.