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Nigeria contemplates controversial social media bill

Nigeria , 04 Dec 2015

Nigeria contemplates controversial social media bill

A bill proposing a two-year sentence or substantial fines for anyone or any group who sends abusive messages via social media is being considered by Nigeria's government and has already sparked widespread public condemnation.

The controversial bill, entitled A Bill for an Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and other Matters Connected therewith, is sponsored by Senator Ibn Na'Allah and has been passed for a second reading by the Senate.

It proposes that anybody or group of persons who send any false text message or post false message on social media against another person shall be jailed for two years upon conviction by the law court.

The proposed law makes reference to the use of traditional mainstream media channels, as well as digital communication via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or WhatsApp.

"Where any person through text message, tweets, WhatsApp or through any social media post any abusive statement knowing same to be false with intent to set the public against any person and group of persons, an institution of government or such other bodies established by law shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction, shall be liable to an imprisonment for two years or a fine of NGN2,000,000.00 or both fine and imprisonment," the bill states.

Presenting his lead debate at the plenary session of the house, Senator Na'Allah asked for accelerated consideration and passage of the bill. "Our past has portrayed us as a society where by mere expedience of writing a frivolous petition against public officials, you can have their right abused by taking certain measures that practically took away their right of presumptions of innocence only to be found later that the petition, as strong as it appears, on the paper actually lacks merit," he said.

"The question to ask is, whether having passed the Freedom of Information Act which gives unfettered access by the public information from government offices they would be right for this government to continue to waste valuable time and resources in investigating frivolous petitions from the same public and I am sure you would find no difficulty in saying no to the ugly situation."

Since the bill got the attention of the general public, citizens have taken to social media particularly Twitter using #NoToSocialMediaBill to express their opposition to the bill, describing it as a threat to democracy, an impediment to freedom of speech in the country and an attempt by the government to gag citizens.

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