US Accuses Nigeria Of Massive Corruption, Stifling Press Freedom
The United States has accused authorities in Nigeria of massive corruption and stifling of free speech in 2020.
The US stated this in the ‘2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices,’ released on Tuesday, but made available to The PUNCH on Wednesday.
In their separate reactions on Wednesday, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and a former President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Malachy Ugwumadu, berated the regime of Muhammadu Buhari.
Expressing concern about corruption in Nigeria, the US, in the report, stated that it was widespread and pervasive at all levels of government, including the judiciary and security services.
Against the backdrop of President Muhammadu Buhari regime’s anti-graft stance, the US Department of State, which authored the report, said there were numerous allegations of government corruption last year.
It cited the arrest and investigation of the former acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, for graft.
The report also stated that the Federal Government used regulatory oversight to restrict press freedom, notably clamping down on television and radio stations, over alleged violations of amendments to the sixth edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
It noted, ‘’Citing violations of amendments to the sixth edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code in August, the NBC fined local radio station Nigeria Info 99.3 FM for comments by the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Obadiah Mailafia, on insecurity in the country.
