Influence of the cybercrimes act 2015 on investigative journalism and press freedom in North Central, Nigeria.

Abstract

This study examines how Nigeria's Cybercrimes Act 2015 affects investigative journalism and press freedom to determine the Act's effect on investigative journalism and to identify legal provisions that restrict press freedom. The research adopts the Theory of Freedom of Expression as its theoretical framework which emphasizes the relevance of the right to freely seek, receive, and disseminate information to democratic accountability. Descriptive survey research method was employed and 218 respondents were selected from a population of 978 professional journalists using multi-stage sampling techniques. Data were collected using structured questionnaire, and analyzed using descriptive statistics including means and standard deviations. Major findings reveal a paradoxical relationship where the Act simultaneously facilitates and constrains journalistic practice. While respondents acknowledged procedural benefits like information access (mean = 3.05) and legal clarity (mean = 3.01), they recognized significant constraints including chilling effects on press freedom (mean = 2.83). All examined legal provisions were identified as restricting press freedom, with surveillance powers emerging as the most constraining factor (mean = 3.01), followed by online reporting obligations, compliance penalties, content liability provisions, and data localization requirements. The study recommends immediate legislative reform to include explicit press freedom exemptions and establish mandatory judicial training programs on cybercrime law and press freedom intersection. The conclusion demonstrates that the Cybercrimes Act 2015 has fundamentally altered Nigeria's investigative journalism, creating systematic constraints that undermine press freedom despite offering limited procedural benefits, effectively functioning as a sophisticated tool for media control rather than cybersecurity enhancement in North Central Nigeria.