Salihu Ayatullahi

Last updated
Salihu Ayatullahi
Salihu Ayatullahi.jpg
BornDecember 24
Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
CitizenshipNigerian
Alma materUniversity of Ilorin
OccupationInvestigative journalist
Years active2017-present

Salihu Ayatullahi, born in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, is a Nigerian investigative journalist currently serving as the Editor-in-Chief of The Informant247. He was part of the founding team of the news organization. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

With a strong focus on investigative reporting, Ayatullahi has led the North-Central based newspaper in delivering critical coverage on government policies, corruption and human rights abuses in Nigeria. [1]

Background and career

He completed his primary and secondary education in his hometown of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. He later proceeded to the University of Ilorin for his tertiary education. [1] [2]

He has worked in various newsrooms as both a reporter and an editor before assuming the role of Editor-in-Chief at The Informant247. [3] [1]

At The Informant247, he has overseen the production of several investigative reports as head of the editorial board, many of which have had significant impacts. He also supervises FactCheck247, an independent fact-checking organization. [4]

In 2023, Ayatullahi represented his news organization when it was selected for the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) Elevate program, a transformative global initiative aimed at empowering 18 C-level journalists from across the world. [5]

During the program, he earned a business certificate from Babson College in Massachusetts, United States. [6]

Critical reporting

In 2023, the Nigerian journalist published an exposé uncovering an illegal border route in the Baruteen Local Government Area of Kwara State, where smugglers collaborated with security operatives to smuggle contraband into Nigeria from Benin Republic. [7]

Later that year, he uncovered a site where lithium is illegal mined in Nigeria, with no oversight. His investigation traced and identified how a powerful Chinese-owned company that had been evading taxes and underreporting its activities is behind the operation. This report was cross-published by six different media outlets. [8] [9]

Following its publication, authorities and security agencies intervened and conducted a raid on the Kankafu village, where the illegal mining was taking place. [10]

In 2024, he released a two-month-long investigation into how the electoral body in Kwara State suppressed voters and manipulated election results to favour the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He gathered evidence of several ‘electoral manipulations’ and documented discrepancies in the election results, as well as widespread disenfranchisement caused by shortages of electoral materials, despite billions of naira released for the election. The investigation also included exclusive footage showing officials tampering with thumb-printed ballot papers. [11]

After the report was published, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing the videos and documentary evidence from the investigation, held a press conference to reject the election results and vowed to challenge them in court. The chairman of the electoral body was also dragged to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by an independent organization to account for the N1.5 billion the report revealed he had spent. [12]

In the wake of several investigative reports exposing corruption at the state-owned Kwara State Polytechnic, Ayatullahi, along with one of his reporters, was arrested by the Nigerian Police. They were later released following pressure from various international and local organizations, such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), International Press Institute (IPI), Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Coalition for Whistleblowers Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF), and Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), among several others, who condemned the arrest. [13] [3] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]

The case was eventually brought before a court. The prosecutor however, failed to present evidence to support the defamation case, and the charges were dismissed. [19] [20]

Meanwhile, several individuals at the Polytechnic were subsequently either demoted or dismissed as a result of the findings. [21] [22]

Membership

In 2023, he joined the France-based Forbidden Stories’s SafeBox Network, a platform where some of the world’s most threatened journalists are securing their sensitive information. [23]

He is also a member of the Association of Kwara Online Media Practitioners, a body for journalists based in Nigeria’s North Central Kwara State. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwara State</span> State of Nigeria

Kwara is a state in Western Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kogi State, to the north by Niger State, and to the south by Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo states, while its western border makes up part of the international border with Benin. Its capital is the city of Ilorin and the state has 16 local government areas.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Ilorin</span> Public Research University in Ilorin, Nigeria

University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), is a federal government-owned public research university in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. The university's main campus sits on an expansive area of land, about 15,000 hectares in the ancient city of Ilorin; making it the largest university in Nigeria and one of the largest in Africa by landmass. The university comprises 16 faculties and over 100 academic departments offering 103 programmes. It was established by a decree of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria in August, 1975. The University of Ilorin has the highest enrollment of foreign students in Nigeria. The establishment aimed to implement one of the educational directives of the Third National Development Plan, which was aimed at providing more opportunities for Nigerians aspiring to acquire university education and to generate high-level manpower, which is vital for the rapidly expanding economy. Compared to other higher institutions of learning in the country, the institution has one of the largest land areas, covering approximately 15,000 hectares of land. It is reported by Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) to be the most sought-after Nigerian university in 2021. And again in 2023, and also in 2024, it was announced by the JAMB Head, Professor Ishaq Oloyede to be the sought-after University, for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME), making it for the 10th consecutive year.

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Kwara State Polytechnic is a Nigerian tertiary institution that was established in 1973 by the then Military Governor of Kwara State Col. David Bamigboye after the decision to establish a polytechnic in Kwara State was announced in 1971. It is located in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State.

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The Kwara State House of Assembly is the legislative arm of the government of Kwara State of Nigeria. It is a unicameral legislature having 24 members elected from the 16 local government areas of the state. Local government areas with considerable lager population are delineated into two constituencies to give equal representation. This makes the number of legislators in the Kwara State House of Assembly 24.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Kwara State gubernatorial election</span> 2023 gubernatorial election in Kwara State, Nigeria

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Informant247, The (2023-07-14). "Salihu Ayatullahi, Editor-in-Chief, The Informant247". The Informant247. Retrieved 2025-01-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 "Muck Rack | For journalists and public relations". muckrack.com. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "4 Nigerian journalists charged with cybercrime, defamation over fraud investigation". Committee to Protect Journalists. 2024-02-09. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  4. ↑ Sodeeq, Yemi (2024-12-31). "Impacts of investigations published by The Informant247 in 2024". The Informant247. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  5. ↑ USMAN, Mustapha (2023-05-05). "ICFJ selects two Nigerian media outlets for new cohort". The ICIR- Latest News, Politics, Governance, Elections, Investigation, Factcheck, Covid-19. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  6. ↑ "ICFJ's News Business Hub Announces New Cohort". International Center for Journalists. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  7. ↑ Wiki Times (June 29, 2023). "INVESTIGATION: How Corrupt Security Officials Help Smugglers to Import Rice from Benin Republic into Nigeria through Illegal Kwara Border Route". Wikki Times.
  8. ↑ "INVESTIGATION | Lithium hunters: Bribery, abuses, deaths – the dark side of Nigeria's illegal mining | Sahara Reporters". saharareporters.com. Archived from the original on 2024-05-28. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  9. ↑ Ayatullahi, Salihu (2023-09-04). "INVESTIGATION | Lithium hunters: Bribery, abuses, deaths - the dark side of Nigeria's illegal mining". The Informant247. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  10. ↑ Informant247, The (2023-09-29). "After Informant247 report, Kwara govt, NSCDC boss storm Kakanfu, move to stop illegal mining". The Informant247. Retrieved 2025-01-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "Investigation: How Kwara Electoral Body Suppressed Voters, Manipulated LG Election Results To Favour Ruling APC | Sahara Reporters". saharareporters.com. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  12. ↑ Omotayo, Toheeb (2024-12-03). "After Informant247 investigation, opposition candidates reject Kwara LG election results, demand justice". The Informant247. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  13. ↑ "Police in Kwara State detain journalist on orders of polytechnic Rector". Media Foundation For West Africa. 2024-02-07. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  14. ↑ Kabir, Adejumo (2024-12-28). "Round-Up: Nigerian Journalists Faced Increased Intimidation, Attacks in 2024". HumAngle. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  15. ↑ IPI-Admin (2024-02-19). "Nigeria: Journalists targeted again under cybercrime law". ipi.media. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  16. ↑ "Coalition Condemns Arbitrary Detention of Journalists in Kwara State". CJID. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  17. ↑ Ayeni, Victor (2024-11-02). "Concerns mount as crimes against Nigerian journalists worsen". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  18. ↑ Chibundu, Janefrances (2024-02-13). "'Drop charges against them' -- coalition condemns arrest of journalists in Kwara". TheCable. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  19. ↑ "2 Kwara journalists arraigned over report granted bail - Daily Trust". dailytrust.com/. 2024-02-09. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  20. ↑ Taoheed, Mohammed (2025-01-13). "Court dismisses defamation case against two journalists in Kwara". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  21. ↑ Omotayo, Toheeb (2025-01-16). "Kwara Poly dismisses senior lecturer for extorting students after Informant247 report". The Informant247. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  22. ↑ Omotayo, Toheeb (2024-11-06). "After Informant247 report, Kwara poly top official who diverted students' funds removed from office". The Informant247. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  23. ↑ "SafeBox Directory". Forbidden Stories. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
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