By Mustapha Salisu
As part of its efforts to address the rising threat of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and to promote press freedom in Nigeria, Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France), in collaboration with the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) and Spaces for Change (S4C), has organized a two-day training in Abuja for journalists from Kano State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The event, held between Monday and Tuesday at the Hawthorn Hotel in Abuja, was organized under the framework of the Enhancing Digital Rights in Nigeria (e-RIGHTS) project and was supported by the European Union (EU).
In her opening remarks, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, Head of ASF France in Nigeria, described the training as timely and crucial in light of the increasing use of legal systems to intimidate and silence journalists.
Uzoma-Iwuchukwu welcomed participants drawn from the media, legal experts, and partner organizations, noting that the event aims to empower journalists with practical knowledge to identify, mitigate, and defend against SLAPP lawsuits.
“Journalists are, in many ways, the first line of defense for human rights and good governance. You are the watchdogs, the investigators, and the storytellers who ensure that the powerful are held to account and that the public is informed,” she said.
She lamented that journalists increasingly face attempts by powerful entities and individuals to suppress critical reporting, not through direct censorship, but through the weaponization of the civil justice system.
According to her, SLAPPs are not genuine legal actions intended to seek justice but are legal bullying tactics designed to intimidate, exhaust resources, and create a chilling effect on legitimate public discourse.
She explained that these lawsuits force journalists to divert their time, money, and energy away from reporting and into lengthy and costly legal defenses. The ultimate goal, she noted, is not to win a verdict but to silence critical voices, making the true casualty not just the individual journalist or media house but also the public’s right to know.
Uzoma-Iwuchukwu emphasized that the defense against SLAPPs is not merely a legal matter but a human rights struggle.
According to her “the training has been designed to equip journalists with the essential tools to recognize the red flags that distinguish genuine defamation claims from strategic efforts to silence them, to understand best practices in investigative reporting and legal review to minimize exposure, and to learn legal strategies that can be deployed against such abusive claims”
Uzoma-Iwuchukwu reiterated that journalists must shift the narrative and expose SLAPPs as a violation of press freedom and a form of legal abuse rather than allowing them to become tools of censorship.
She reaffirmed ASF France’s commitment to defending press freedom in Nigeria not only through capacity building but also through pro bono legal defense for journalists facing intimidation.
Also speaking, Ali Sabo of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), who represented Engr. Y.Z. Ya’u, the Executive Director of the organization, described the training as highly important, noting that it aligns with CITAD’s ongoing efforts to protect individuals particularly journalists, activists, and others from various forms of abuse.
“Especially journalists,” he said, “your work is crucial because you serve as the voice of the voiceless. That is why the issue of legal lawsuits (SLAPPs) often targets journalists, with several cases showing how pressmen in Kano have been arrested simply for publishing opinions, among other reasons.”
Ali Sabo further urged participants to remain open-minded, embrace new knowledge from the training, and ensure that they apply and share what they learn with their colleagues upon returning to their respective organizations.