‘Cybercrime Law Tool For Harassment In Nigeria’

Nigeria’s cybercrime law has been identified as a tool to harass journalists, lawyers, and critics of the government and its officials at any level.

Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, Country Director of Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF), disclosed this at the flag-off of a workshop on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) in Ikeja, the capital of Lagos State.

Uzoma-Iwuchukwu regretted that the Nigerian cybercrime law provided the Police an avenue to hound people who criticised government officials.

“The Police leverages on vagueness of cybercrime law to prosecute people and the target is to silence people, make them exhausted but we are committed to protect the rights of people”, she said.

She pledged continuous support for journalists, lawyers, and critics of government who face prosecution for differing opinions.

Further, she disclosed that ASF provides free legal services to victims of intimidation for their views, noting that criticism of the government is legitimate.

The ASF France Country Director said their lawyers are working hard to protect thematic rights of Nigerians who face prosecution over digital rights, torture, reform on capital punishments, press freedom, arbitrary arrests and detention, denied access to justice, and others as a result of differing opinions.

According to her, the training workshop aims to build the capacity of journalists and media practitioners to understand and respond to SLAPP cases, lawsuits often used to intimidate or silence critical reporting and public interest journalism, adding that It will also provide a platform to exchange experiences, strengthen solidarity within the media community, and promote press freedom.

The chairman of the Ikeja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Barr Adeniyi Quadri, said SLAPPs were calculated attempts to silence justice, saying they use the justice system to intimidate people.

On his part, Dr Abiodun Odusote, an associate professor of law at the University of Lagos, called on journalists to seek timely support from ASF France when rights are threatened.

Further, he called for coalitions and networks for support and advocated that journalists should network with their colleagues, and that they should strive to detect SLAPP threats early.

The workshop brought together journalists from Lagos and Imo states.