Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has condemned the Department of State Services (DSS) for what it described as the unlawful harassment of Mr. Jamiu Olayinka, a leader of the Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum, following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. The advocacy group labeled the actions of the DSS as an attempt to undermine transparency and accountability, principles the FOI Act is meant to protect.
Mr. Olayinka was reportedly summoned to the DSS office in Ibeju-Lekki on September 12, 2024, where he was questioned over an FOI request concerning a $100 million payment allegedly made by Alhaji Aliko Dangote to the Lagos State Government for land used by the Dangote Refinery. The land in question, acquired without compensation, has been at the center of a lawsuit filed by De Renaissance Patriots Foundation and the Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum to compel the government to respond to the FOI request.
MRA’s Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Ayode Longe, criticized the harassment, stating: “The FOI Act was enacted to empower citizens to seek information, foster open governance, and ensure that government activities are transparent and accountable to the public. The harassment of individuals for legitimately exercising their right under the Act… is a direct violation of this right and a disturbing affront to the democratic ideals that Nigeria aspires to uphold.”
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Longe also emphasized that the FOI Act gives citizens the right to access or request information from public officials or agencies, and to institute legal action if such requests are ignored.
“We urge the government to reaffirm its commitment to the rule of law and the principles of open government by ensuring that citizens can exercise their rights without fear of harassment, intimidation, or retaliation,” Longe added. He called for those responsible for the harassment to be held accountable, warning that such actions erode public trust and violate citizens’ legal rights to access information.
MRA stressed that access to information is a right, not a priviledge, and expressed solidarity with citizens seeking to exercise their right to information under the law.