Niger State Commissioner Assaults VOA Journalist Mustapha Batsari

On November 24, 2023, Major General Bello Mohammed Abdullahi, the Niger State Commissioner of Homeland Security, assaulted journalist Mustapha Batsari, a reporter for Voice of America (VOA). The incident occurred at the Government House in Minna when Batsari approached the Commissioner for details regarding a crisis in Beji, Bosso Local Government Area.

Eyewitnesses reported that the Commissioner physically and verbally attacked the journalist instead of addressing his inquiries. The assault has drawn widespread condemnation from press freedom advocates, who view it as part of the growing hostility toward journalists reporting on security issues in Nigerien.