Protesters in NASS to reject bill on hate speech

A group of protesters on Wednesday went to the National Assembly to demand for withdrawal of the bills on hate speech and social media.

Deji Adeyanju, a civil activist who led the protesters to the National Assembly gate described the bills as “obnoxious”.

The protesters carried placards bearing various inscriptions aimed at rejecting the bills.

According to Adeyanju, the bills are completely out of place having no place in a democracy regime.

”These bills have no place in our laws and nation because the Cybercrime Act of 2015 has already aptly captured the provisions of these bills in its entirety.

”We want to draw the attention of the National Assembly to the provision of Section 24 of the Cybercrime Act of 2015.

“That section of the act has expressly captured all the provisions that the social media and hate speech bill ought to cover,” he said.

Receiving the protesters, Sen. Uba Sani (APC-Kaduna Central), said that the contribution of all segmments of the society would be taken into consideration during public hearings on the bills.

It was reported that the controversial bill on hate speech had on Nov. 12, passed first reading in the upper chamber.

The bill sponsored by the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Sabi Abdullahi, while the Bill for an Act to Make Provisions for the Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulation had passed second reading in the Senate sponsored by Sen. Sani Musa (APC-Niger East).