In its 2024 Openness Index, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) declared Imo State the worst place to be a journalist in Nigeria. The index, a subnational assessment of press freedom and civic space in Nigeria, was published in July. It ranked states based on political openness, media independence, and the safety of civic actors.

The Imo State Government quickly dismissed the report. Commissioner for Information Declan Emelumba described the report as “fraught with fallacies and sensational stunts,” insisting it was “biased, jaundiced, unreliable, and absolutely unempirical.”

But when Martin Opara, editor of the Nigerian Watchdog Newspaper, read the report, he simply smiled, because his organisation had been a victim of targeted harassment and attack by the state government. For him, the CJID report reflected reality, his newspaper having borne the brunt of state hostility.

“Since 2015, our office has been raided more than five times by the police, usually because of publications we released,” Mr Opara told PREMIUM TIMES in late August. “In 2023, our correspondent was banned from covering proceedings at the House of Assembly. They told us outright: ‘We don’t want Watchdog here.”

Unlike many local outlets, Mr Opara said the Nigerian Watchdog Newspaper insists on publishing reports that hold institutions and governments accountable.

That independence has also made them a target. “Independent journalism has become very difficult here,” he lamented. “We face raids, arrests, bans, false accusations, and constant intimidation. But we continue to do our work.”

Press freedom under siege.

The CJID’s index paints a troubling national picture: 48 press freedom violations were recorded between December 2023 and November 2024, mostly perpetrated by security agencies. Police, military, and state security agents were identified as the main culprits in harassing journalists and suppressing dissent.

At the end of the spectrum, Cross River ranked highest for openness, with Ondo, Delta, Katsina, and Ekiti also performing well.

By contrast, the lowest-performing states based on the perception index are Anambra, Nasarawa, Bauchi, Ebonyi, and Imo, with Imo sitting at the bottom.

The index evaluates states across seven factors: political environment, legal framework, economic pressures, socio-cultural context, journalistic principles, treatment of journalists, and gender inclusion.

Press freedom advocate Stephanie Adams-Douglas told PREMIUM TIMES that arbitrary arrests, assaults, and lawsuits targeting journalists violate constitutional rights. “When accountability is absent for these violations, it leads to a deterioration of the system, ultimately undermining integrity and truth in the media,” she said.

She added: “This entails ensuring that perpetrators who commit acts of violence or intimidation against journalists are held accountable.”

Inside Imo: “They threat