UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has denounced the killing of broadcaster Maxell Nashan in Nigeria’s State of Adamawa on 15 January and called for an investigation into this crime.
“I condemn the murder of Maxwell Nashan,” said the Director-General. “I call on the authorities to investigate this crime and ensure that attacks on journalists are brought to trial in the interest of press freedom, the fundamental human right of freedom of expression, and rule of law.”
Maxwell Nashan, a reporter and news presenter for the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), was abducted on 15 January and died in hospital on the same day after he was found unconscious and severely injured. The journalist is reported to have received threats to his life.
UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity building and a range of actions, notably in the framework of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.
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See also: UNESCO observatory of killed journalists
Media contact: Sylvie Coudray, s.coudray@unesco.org, +33 (0)1 45 68 08 91