After going through the article, I found the bill absurd to say the least, and can't help but think of how misplaced the priorities of our lawmakers, and leaders generally are.
In this proposed bill, insulting anyone online could earn you 5 years in jail. So all those who insult bloggers, take note...lol.
But there's even more. One of the high points of the proposed law is that it prescribes for anyone who commits an offence against what it calls “critical national information infrastructure” a death penalty.
See the report after the cut:
For using profane language on other people or pelting them with insults
or abusive words on social networking sites, Internet users in Nigeria
risk a jail term that ranges between 12 months and five years.
Section 18 sub-section 1 of the Cyber-Crime Bill 2013, which is pending before the House of Representatives, expressly states that anybody who “insults
publicly, through a computer system or network” commits an offence and
will be liable on conviction to imprisonment “for a term of not less
than five years or to a fine of not less than N10m or to both fine and
imprisonment.”
Also, the bill prescribes a jail term of five years for anyone who circulates or makes any racist and xenophobic material available online.
Cyber-criminals, who hide under the anonymity of the Internet to
bully, harass other users of online platforms also risk jail terms when
the law comes into full force.
Section 15 of the bill, which deals with issues of cyber-stalking,
prescribes a jail term of 12 months for anyone found guilty of posting
messages deemed “grossly offensive, indecent, obscene” or messages aimed
at “causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety” to another
online user.
Besides, anyone who bullies, threatens or harasses another person,
through “information and communication technologies” or posts messages
online that contains “threats to kidnap or injure” another person will
be jailed five years or pay a fine of N15m or both.
According to the bill, Internet service providers will be required to
keep all traffic data and subscriber information for the purpose of
prosecuting those suspected of committing cyber-crimes.
The service providers are expected to provide necessary assistance
towards the identification, apprehension and prosecution of offenders,
failure of which makes them liable to fines and or jail terms.
Part V, Section four of the bill prescribes the Office of the National
Security Adviser as the co-coordinating body for all security and
enforcement agencies when the bill becomes law.
One of the high points of the law is the prescription of death
sentence for anyone who commits an offence against what it calls
“critical national information infrastructure” which results in death.
As much as I agree with some legal experts that laws regulating
activities online is very necessary, this law proposed is nothing short
of preposterous. Why should any one spend 5 years in jail for 'online
insults?' What even constitutes online insults? Doesn't this bill
contravene freedom of expression as entrenched in the grundnorm of the
Nigeria state-The Constitution?
As if many parts of the law is not ridiculous enough, the law included a death penalty for “critical national information infrastructure”- whatever that means. Like why on earth will death penalty be appropriate for Cybercrime? I feel like this is just a ploy by these politicians to silence social activism particularly among young people.
Its just sad, the level of misplaced priorities in this country.
As if many parts of the law is not ridiculous enough, the law included a death penalty for “critical national information infrastructure”- whatever that means. Like why on earth will death penalty be appropriate for Cybercrime? I feel like this is just a ploy by these politicians to silence social activism particularly among young people.
Its just sad, the level of misplaced priorities in this country.
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