Civic Pulse Nigeria
Quarterly civic space report
Q2 2026
April to June 2026
Complete quarter. Generated 19 Sept 2026.
- Published records
- 16
- Change on Q1 2026
- +12
- States named
- 3
- Reporting organisations
- 11
16 civic space records were published for April to June 2026, against 4 in January to March 2026. Legal and Regulatory Framework was the most frequently recorded category. 11 of these came from reports written at national level that name no state.
Records by category
- Legal & Regulatory6
- Harassment4
- Arrests & Detention3
- Government Discourse2
- Citizen Engagement1
- Resource Access0
Where records were located
- Federal Capital Territory2
- Rivers2
- Ebonyi1
Plus 11 national-level records naming no state.
Who reported these incidents
- Rights monitors
- 3
- News outlets
- 12
- Official and court records
- 1
- Sahara Reporters3
- Committee to Protect Journalists2
- Premium Times2
- Vanguard2
- AllAfrica1
- Broadcast Media Africa1
- Channels Television1
- Human Rights Watch1
- SERAP1
- The Authority1
- TheCable1
The records
- 30 Jun 2026·National·CPN-0013
Human rights lawyers and activists petition Minister of Justice over Sowore trial
Human rights lawyers and activists petitioned the Minister of Justice seeking an end to the prosecution of Omoyele Sowore.
- 29 Jun 2026·National·CPN-0014
Nigeria: DSS, N100m SERAP verdict and national debate over civic space and free speech
Coverage of the national debate prompted by the N100 million judgment against SERAP, with reactions from more than 50 civil society organisations, Amnesty International, senior lawyers and human rights advocates.
- 22 Jun 2026·National·CPN-0015
Nigeria: NBC appeal to reverse penalties on broadcast stations denied
The Court of Appeal rejected the NBC appeal on 17 June 2026 as fundamentally defective and incompetent, leaving the restraining order on broadcast fines in place.
- 1 Jun 2026·Federal Capital Territory·CPN-0016
Alleged cybercrime: court returns Sowore to Kuje prison
The court ordered Omoyele Sowore returned to Kuje prison in the course of proceedings on the cybercrime charge.
- 29 May 2026·National·CPN-0017
CPJ faults Tinubu government's press freedom claims, confirms arrest and harassment of 91 journalists
CPJ records at least 91 journalists arrested, assaulted or harassed since 29 May 2023, with incidents mapped across at least 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
- 29 May 2026·National·CPN-0018
Cyberstalking charge: police arraign blogger for allegedly defaming Tony Elumelu
Blogger Nwanorue John Surpruchi was charged with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking over posts published on 5 April 2026 and remanded in Nigerian Correctional Service custody, with the matter adjourned to 19 June 2026.
- 28 May 2026·Rivers·CPN-0019
No justice, over a month after 15 men beat Nigerian journalist investigating phone scam
Investigative journalist Allwell Ene of Megaletrics Media Group was surrounded and assaulted by more than 15 men at Garrison Junction, Port Harcourt on 13 April 2026 while investigating reported criminal activity. His phone, money and belongings were taken.
- Committee to Protect Journalists: https://cpj.org/2026/05/no-justice-over-month-after-15-men-beat-nigerian-journalist-investigating-phone-scam/
- 18 May 2026·Federal Capital Territory·CPN-0020
Court judgment raises concerns about civic freedoms in Nigeria
On 5 May 2026 a Nigerian high court ordered SERAP to pay N100 million in damages to two Department of State Services officials and to publish public apologies and pay costs. The case followed SERAP allegations in September 2024 that officials unlawfully entered its Abuja office.
- 14 May 2026·National·CPN-0021
Nigerian Broadcasting Commission appeals court order protecting TV stations and presenters from sanctions
The NBC appealed the court order barring it from sanctioning broadcast stations and presenters over expressed opinions.
- 8 May 2026·Ebonyi·CPN-0022
Journalists brutally attacked in Ebonyi
A journalist was attacked during an endorsement rally organised by traders and market unions in Abakaliki in support of the second-term bid of Governor Francis Nwifuru.
- 5 May 2026·Rivers·CPN-0023
Police arrest 13 suspects over alleged assault of journalist
The Rivers State Police Command announced the arrest of 13 suspects on 4 May 2026 over the assault on journalist Allwell Ene. Ene subsequently told CPJ that the detainees he was shown were not his attackers.
- 4 May 2026·National·CPN-0024
Nigerian Army defends arrest of activist amid allegations of abuse
The Nigerian Army defended its arrest of social media activist Justice Chidiebere, known as 'Justice Crack', saying he was being investigated over alleged attempts to incite discontent among soldiers. Rights advocates questioned whether the arrest and detention of a civilian met legal standards.
- 1 May 2026·National·CPN-0025
N100m DSS judgment against SERAP on appeal amid questions over jurisdiction, evidence and civic freedom
SERAP appealed the N100 million judgment and filed for a stay of execution, arguing the decision rested on defective processes and inadmissible evidence.
- 1 May 2026·National·CPN-0026
Nigeria ranked 112th in 2026 press freedom index — up 10 places but still in 'difficult' category
Nigeria placed 112th of 180 countries in the RSF 2026 World Press Freedom Index, a ten-place rise from 122nd in 2025, but remains classified in the 'difficult' band with a score of 46.81.
- 20 Apr 2026·National·CPN-0027
Judgment stopping NBC from imposing fines and sanctions on broadcast stations
Certified true copy of the judgment restraining the National Broadcasting Commission from imposing fines and sanctions on broadcast stations, the Commission not being a court of law.
- 1 Apr 2026·National·CPN-0028
CPJ and partners write to Nigerian president over VP comments about press freedom
CPJ and partner organisations wrote to the President over public comments by the Vice President concerning press freedom, seeking clarification of the government's position on the treatment of journalists.
- Committee to Protect Journalists: https://cpj.org/2026/04/577475/
How this report was compiled
Every record in this report is compiled by hand from reports published by named rights monitors, news outlets and official bodies, and links to the source it draws on. Each record is dated to the incident where its source gives that date, and otherwise to the date the source was published. The figures show what has been recorded, not the full extent of what has happened: incidents that were never reported do not appear, and a state with few records is not necessarily a state where little took place.