The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) has called for stronger protection of journalists, particularly environmental and investigative reporters working in high-risk areas such as the Niger Delta.
The organisation also urged the Federal Government and security agencies to investigate unresolved cases of attacks and threats against journalists and prosecute those responsible.
The Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, made the call in Port Harcourt on Monday to commemorate the 2026 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, with the theme: “Threats Evolve, Impunity Endures.”
Fyneface said the theme reflected the growing dangers confronting journalists, noting that threats had evolved from physical attacks and unlawful arrests to digital surveillance, online harassment, strategic lawsuits and the use of emerging technologies to intimidate media practitioners.
He cited a 2026 UNESCO report indicating that nearly nine out of 10 cases of journalists killed worldwide remain unresolved.
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The YEAC-Nigeria director expressed concern over the threats, intimidation and censorship faced by environmental journalists and advocates in the Niger Delta while reporting on oil pollution, environmental degradation, artisanal refining, oil theft and human rights violations.
He stressed that press freedom and independent reporting were essential to achieving environmental justice, transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
The organisation condemned all forms of attacks, threats and harassment against journalists and called for enhanced legal and digital protection, particularly for investigative reporters operating in high-risk environments.
It also urged media organisations to provide safety training and insurance coverage for journalists and field reporters.
According to the statement, a free, safe and independent press is vital to democracy and holding polluters and public officials accountable.
“When journalism is silenced, environmental crimes thrive,” the organisation said, reaffirming its solidarity with journalists and insisting that no crime against media practitioners should go unpunished.
