The European Union, the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, and other critical stakeholders in the justice sector have condemned the rising number of cases of citizens being arrested for alleged violations of the Cybercrime law.
In separate presentations, they called for an urgent review of the legal system’s role in promoting and maintaining digital rights in the country, with special attention to online security tools that would protect freedom of speech in the electronic space.
Speaking at the opening session of e-Rights training for judges and lawyers on digital rights, a representative of the EU delegation to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, Wynyfred Achu-Egbuson, noted that in the last five years, “Nigerians have experienced a ban on Twitter, several attempts to legislate regulations that could infringe on the rights of citizens, arrests of citizens due to their posts online, to mention a few.”
She stressed that the line between infringement of digital rights and preventing misuse of the internet “remained blurred to people who do not understand how digital rights are human rights and how the government can regulate the space, without infringement on rights.”
According to her, with the growing importance of digital technologies, the internet and the spread of Artificial Intelligence, it has become pertinent for citizens to understand that it has led to the creation of new rights.
The NBA, represented by its Assistant General Secretary, Mr Henry Barnabas, commended Advocates Sans Frontieres France, otherwise known as Lawyers Without Borders, for organising the training.
While acknowledging the mounting number of internet users being arrested, he said the NBA would continue its advocacy to enable lawyers and judges to fully understand the concept of digital rights.
Likewise, the Executive Director of the Center for Information Technology and Development, CITAD, Mr. Y. Z. Ya’u, urged lawyers to rise to the challenge by taking up cases of digital rights abuse.
“What we are not getting right in this country is that our political system is failing to be accountable to Nigerians and the Constitution.
“We expect that in a democracy, the rights of citizens would be respected. We expect that the very foundation of democracy is the ability of people to express themselves freely, whether online or offline,” he added.
While a board member In his welcome address, a Board member of the Advocates Sans Frontieres France, Mr Ivan Paneff, expressed the determination of the organisation to continue to push for the enhancement of digital rights in Nigeria, its Country Director, Ms Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, disclosed that Lagos, Kano, Imo and the FCT are currently used as the pilot states.
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