Two journalists with Emirates Online, Muttaka Khumasy and Ibrahim Alhassan Suleja, have been arrested by the Nigerian police following a report alleging secondary school certificate forgery involving the Chairman of Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, Hon. Isyaku Bawa Naibi.
The journalists were picked up on Friday in Suleja shortly after the publication of the report. Their arrest has drawn attention to the controversy surrounding the authenticity of the council chairman’s academic credentials.
Sources familiar with the development said the journalists were first detained in Suleja before being transferred to the Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja, where they are currently being held. As of the time of filing this report, they remain in custody.
The development has raised fresh concerns about press freedom and the treatment of journalists in Nigeria, especially in cases involving investigative reports on public officials. Media advocates argue that arrests over published reports risk creating a chilling effect on journalism.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has in the past criticised Nigerian authorities for similar actions, including the arrest of Peoples Gazette staff members over a report involving a former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai.
Certificate forgery has remained a recurring issue in Nigeria. In 2020, suspects were arrested in Niger State for printing fake certificates from the state College of Education, Minna, while in 2018, multiple arrests were made over foreign certificate forgery cases.
Observers say incidents like this have renewed calls for reforms to decriminalise defamation laws and strengthen legal protections for journalists carrying out their professional duties.
