Nigerien Authorities Throw Nigerian Journalist Investigating Migration Routes Into Prison

The Daily Trust deputy editor has been arrested in Nigerien city of Agadez allegedly in connection with his professional activities related to his investigation of migrant crisis.

City of Agadez is a famous transit point for African migrants travelling to EU. They face heat of Sahara, deep waters of Mediterranean and corruption of the officials during their travel.

Lawan Adamu, the Nigerian journalist, investigating migration routes of Africans travelling to Europe through Agadez, has been arrested in the outskirts of this desert Nigerien town, famous as a transit point for thousands of migrants aspiring to get to EU across Sahara desert, Libya and the Mediterranean.

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Despite Nigerien aithorities claim that the journalist has been arrested because his travel documents issued by the сonsulate of Niger republic in Kano were invalid, Lawan Adamu insists that prior to his arrest at least ten law enforcement officials checked and verified his travel documents at several checkpoints. Adamu’s professional activity is presumably the only sound reason for his detention from the side of Nigerien officials. The painful topic of migrant crisis is closely related with corruption issue and considerable risk for migrants’ lives. They are risking everything while crossing the hot sands of Sahara and then the deep waters of Mediterranean.

Lawan Adamu has been behind bars since Saturday afternoon, where, according to his own words, his human rights were violated by dehumanizing treatment.

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“I told them [those who arrested him] that they [the Niger consulate in Kano] made no error because my mission was clearly stated at the consulate,” told Adamu by phone from the prison. He asked his colleagues a rhetorical question: “assuming they made the error is it fair to subject me to this treatment because of somebody’s error?”

Mahmud Jega, the Daily Trust associate director, said the company makes everything possible to secure Lawan Adamu’s release, adding that Nigerien authorities had no grounds to arrest the journalist on a lawful duty, especially considering the fact that Adamu sought permission from the Niger consulate in Kano despite being an ECOWAS citizen.

Route from Africa to Europe through Agadez is used by the migrants from Nigeria, Eritrea and other troubled Sub-Saharan African countries.

Since the beginning of the year at least 91,302 migrants did this route to enter Europe. Nigerian migrants travel to Agadez in Niger, then to the city of Sebha in Libya, and then to Tripoli. While some of them try to get to the island of Lampedusa by boats, others try to reach Malta. And some travel further to Tunisia in hope to reach shores of Sicilia.

At least 2,748 migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean sea since the beginning of the year.

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