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The implementation of the Cybercrime law by the Nigeria Police Force has drawn the ire of some Nigerians, who in this report, pointed out that the force is hiding under the law to hound everyone who speaks against public office holders and other influential personalities.
It’s meant to protect the rich, bully ordinary citizens – Luka Binniyat, veteran journalist; Kaduna
The Cyber Crime Act of 2015, especially Section 24 of the law referred to as cyber stalking or cyber bullying is but a legal privilege created for the powerful and rich to actually bully ordinary citizens who challenge them online.
It is a useless, suppressive and needles law, since there are already robust laws on libel and defamation. The police are always just too eager to be used to arrest and deal with any citizen for the pleasure of those in power. It should be scrapped.
Using police to arrest people under cybercrime law is wrong –Justin Gbagir, lawyer; Makurdi
I’m not versed in the details of the provisions of the cybercrime law and cannot in good conscience comment on the actions of the law. But we are in a country where the constitution guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of expression. When we are looking at the issue of defamation, which can also be grounded in criminal law, the appropriate thing to do is to take a civil action if someone writes something you think is defamatory.
The idea of using the police to arrest people under the cybercrime law or act is trying to invade their freedom of expression and speech.
Police should get their facts right before arrest –Fidelis Torkunde, civil servant; Ushongo
The police are out there to do their investigation and going by the law guiding their profession, they might be doing the right thing but I think they will have to get the facts right before arresting someone over cyber posts. This is because it will not augur well to arrest someone simply because his post is against a “big man” or because a big man complained especially when what they have said or written is true.
Awareness of cybercrime should be carried out –Ebute Ebute, civil servant; Otukpo
Technology will be the next generation. What should be done is to make use of technology to check if the information is true or not. It can also be used to track offenders. With a lot of people going into cyber security, implementation of cyber laws should be properly done. A lot of people don’t know what the law says. There is a need for awareness and orientation of the public about what constitutes cyber crime. When this is done, they can be seen to be doing their job well.
It’s a tool to prevent citizens from criticising ‘big’ men –Emmanuel Olorunmagba, cleric; Kaduna
The cybercrimes (Prohibition and Prevention, etc.) Act 2015 (“Cybercrimes Act”) is supposed to be a big plus to the country, but the implementation is becoming like it has been turned into a mere tool for protecting the highly placed politicians and other big men in Nigeria, preventing the citizens from criticising the failure of the politicians. Though we must also admit that some youths do hide behind social media to attack what they are not supposed to attack. But that should not be an opportunity to try to use the cybercrimes law to silence every voice of opposition in the face of the abysmal failure of the government.
It has been used to stifle freedom of expression –Osazee Edigin, right activist; Benin
The rate and manner the Nigeria Police Force uses the Cybercrimes Act to go after anyone that speaks against the government and the powerful in the country is alarming. The Act has been the most abused by the police in recent times. It has stifled the freedom of speech and expression.
To make it worse, it’s only the Federal High Court that has jurisdiction which again makes it difficult for suspects to meet the stringent bail conditions imposed.
It’s tool for political, social suppression –Shadrach Udugbai, political analyst; Benin
In Nigeria today, the idea of individuals being arrested and prosecuted for speaking against influential personalities, raises significant concerns about freedom of expression and abuse of power.
While it’s crucial to combat genuine cybercrimes – such as fraud, identity theft, and cyber bullying, the law to suppress criticism or dissent is a dangerous precedent. This is troubling because it turns legal protections intended to safeguard against harmful online activities into tools of political and social suppression. For lawyers, activists, and journalists, it’s essential to recognise the fine line between legitimate discourse and actual cybercrimes. Laws should not be manipulated to silence criticism, but to protect citizens from real harm.
The fundamental rights of free speech, press, and assembly must be safeguarded in any democracy, and no law should be used as a weapon against those who wish to hold those in power accountable.
Police not implementing cybercrime law properly –Ebikebuna Aluzie, lawyer; Yenagoa
The police are not implementing the cybercrime law properly. Some of the offences being dubbed cyber stalking are mere insults. The police have so far effected arrests under the guise of enforcing the Cybercrime Act, but how many convictions have they secured with these offences that have to do with cyber stalking? If you check it critically, there is none.
This goes to show you that the issue of enforcement of cyber stalking is in error because the evidence to secure convictions does not exist. We have instances where somebody would insult someone and the complainant would write a petition to the police, who then would go and make an arrest. This is wrong. Some of those offences are not offences that qualify as cyber stalking under the Cyber Crime Act.
The police are behaving like a bulldog by clamping down on anybody that insults ‘big’ men. That is not the intention of the lawmakers in amending the Cyber Crime Act. If you compare the number of cases charged to court for cyber stalking and the number of convictions secured, it would tell a true story of police actions.
The law is being used to gag journalists –Meinpamo Onitsha Saint, publisher; Yenagoa
The police are using the law to gag journalists. The police will without investigating a petition written against journalists clamp down on pressmen. I am a living witness. I have been kidnapped by the police. Some cases should not ordinarily get to the police, but because of the vested interest of big men, the police take it up. Even with the amendment of the Act, the police are adamant about clamping down on journalists under the guise of enforcing the Cybercrime Act.
It’s a law made for the rich against the poor –Kalu-Ireke Onuma, public affairs analyst; Aba
In Nigeria, even the ones you can describe as the ordinary laws appear to be made for the rich against the poor. This is evident when a poor man has a case against the so called rich men; the law is always tilted towards the latter. It is hardly to be seen in the country where a poor man has won a case against the well established in the society, no matter how favourable the matter appears for the poor man.
So, one is not surprised with what is happening with the cybercrime law. Just like every other law, the former has been turned against the poor in the country. The law is being implemented in a way to stifle expression or opinion of the ordinary Nigerians against the rich in the country.
Law has been turned against the poor –Celestine Kanu, agric scientist; Aba
Nigeria copies so many things from the advanced world, but when it comes to application and implementation, it is done wrongly. The cybercrime law is one of those being wrongly applied.
From what we have seen so far, the cybercrime law has been turned against the poor in the country. Certain issues that have nothing to do with cybercrime are labelled so just to get at a person that has been earmarked to be punished. The rich in active collaboration with security agents apply the law to the contrary.
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