A journalist and human rights advocate, Amb. Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, has called on governments and the international community to take urgent action to end the killing of journalists and ensure prosecution of those responsible.
Adesanya-Davies made the call on Monday, November 2, 2026, to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, warning that attacks on media professionals pose a serious threat to press freedom and democracy.
In a statement issued in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, she urged governments, the United Nations, African Union and other international organisations to prioritise the safety of journalists and ensure perpetrators of attacks against media workers are brought to justice.
She warned that continued killing of journalists without accountability would encourage further attacks and undermine the public’s right to access reliable and diverse information.
Citing figures from international media monitoring organisations, Adesanya-Davies said at least 30 media professionals had been killed worldwide in 2026, according to UNESCO’s Observatory of Killed Journalists, as of October 30.
She also referenced Reporters Without Borders figures indicating that 25 journalists had been killed since January, while 466 journalists and media workers were being detained globally.
According to her, the International Federation of Journalists, IFJ, recorded 15 journalists and media workers killed in direct connection with their work this year, including victims in Palestine, Lebanon, Colombia, Yemen and Somalia.
She further cited the Press Emblem Campaign, which reported 39 journalist deaths in the first half of 2026, with Lebanon, Gaza, Mexico and the Philippines among the affected countries.
Expressing concern over the situation in Gaza, she said at least 203 Palestinian journalists and media workers had been killed since the outbreak of the war in October 2023, according to figures attributed to the IFJ and Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.
She noted that although the reported number of journalist deaths had declined compared with the corresponding period last year, the loss of even one media professional remained unacceptable.
The media advocate identified impunity as one of the biggest challenges facing journalists worldwide, citing UNESCO figures which indicate that 86 per cent of journalist killings remain judicially unresolved.
She said more than 1,600 journalists had been killed globally between 2006 and 2025, with only about one in seven cases resulting in justice.
Adesanya-Davies outlined four demands to address the crisis, including immediate investigations and prosecution of everyone involved in journalist killings, including those who finance, plan or order the attacks.
She also urged governments and parties involved in armed conflicts to protect journalists as civilians under international humanitarian law, stressing that deliberate attacks against media professionals must be stopped and prosecuted.
The statement further expressed support for an IFJ-led campaign for a binding international convention on the safety and independence of journalists.
On protection of local journalists, Adesanya-Davies said those reporting from their own communities were particularly vulnerable, noting that many lacked protective equipment, insurance, adequate training and emergency evacuation support.
She called for increased investment in their safety and professional welfare, insisting that journalism should never be treated as a crime.
She expressed solidarity with families of journalists killed in Palestine, Lebanon, Colombia, Yemen, Somalia, Mexico, the Philippines, Nigeria and other parts of the world.
“When a journalist is silenced, democracy dies,” she declared.
