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Activists Ask Lawmakers To Kill Social Media, Hate Speech Bills During Protest In Abuja

The protesters said the bills do not in any way provide solutions to the problems they ought to address, rather they seek to further throw the country into chaos and confusion.

 

Activists on Wednesday protested at the National Assembly in Abuja to call for the killing of the social media and hate speech bills.

The protesters said the bills do not in any way provide solutions to the problems they ought to address, rather they seek to further throw the country into chaos and confusion.

Addressing the protesters, Co-convener, Center for Liberty, Raphael Adebayo, asked the leadership of the Senate not be give further legislative deliberation on the bills, saying it had no premise for existence in a democratic society.

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He said, "We equally believe that distinguished senators must try to remember the constancy of tomorrow – the fact that these bills are unlikely to protect their rights as ordinary citizens should they leave their current position as senators tomorrow.

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"It is, therefore, crucial to note that it has now become morally incumbent on distinguished senators to speedily send these bills to the grave."

Co-convener, Center for Liberty, Deji Adeyanju, said Nigerians have demanded for the bills to be eliminated and expunged from the archive of the Senate.

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He said, "The issue of electoral act is pending before the National Assembly, they should focus more on that. 

"The issue of freedom of speech is an integral component of democracy and whether it is freedom before or after speech, the National Assembly should not be seen as an arm of government that wants to take away the freedom and liberty of Nigerian people."

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The bills prohibits free speech on social media and proposes a fine, prison sentence of three years, or both as punishment for offenders.