A digital rights expert, Tope Ogundipe has condemned the abuse
of Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act 2015 to harass journalists and ordinary citizens,
reports ITRealms.
Speaking at the Research Methods Workshop for Internet Policy
and Advocacy in Kampala Uganda, at the weekend, organized by the Internet
Policy Observatory at the Annenberg School for Communications, University of
Pennsylvania, Ogundipe, who serves as Director of Programs at the pan-African
social enterprise, Paradigm Initiative, noted with disheartening that cybercrime
Act 2015 is now being turned against the citizens and those seemingly in defense
of ordinary people.
Ogundipe who led a session on “Cybercrime, Digital Rights and Law
Enforcement in Nigeria” traced the origins of Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act 2015
and its current use as the prime tool in the hands of the rich and powerful in
the country to facilitate the arrest and harassment of journalists, bloggers
and ordinary citizens for comments made online.
Lamenting that since the passage of the Cybercrimes Act 2015,
there has not been one incident where it has been used to prosecute a real
cybercrime case.
“Instead, it has been used to arrest ordinary citizens for
comments made online deemed offensive to the powerful in Nigeria. Journalists
in particular have been at the receiving end of these arrests using the
Cybercrime law, because a large number of journalists have been arrested in
Nigeria using sections 24 and 38 of the law” she said.
“Paradigm Initiative, in partnership with Media Rights Agenda
and Enough is Enough Nigeria, in response to the use of the Cybercrime
legislation in the arrests of citizens have challenged the constitutionality of
sections 24 and 38 of the Cybercrimes law in court. The case has been in the
courts since 2016. We lost at the court of first instance and we are now at the
Court of Appeal. Strategic litigation could be a long and drawn out process and
as such patience and perseverance is required in this endeavour,” Ogundipe
submitted.
During the workshop, which held between from February 26 – March
3, over 35 researchers and practitioners from across Africa were gathered at
Kabira resort Kampala Uganda for an intense week of study on research methods
that underpin Internet policy and advocacy on the continent. The workshop
participants were drawn from 16 African countries while the faculties were
drawn from within Africa, Europe and the United States.
The workshop ended with participants asking questions from the
session leader, particularly on how best to conduct strategic litigation within
their countries.
Uboshe Uboshe/GEE
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During the workshop, which held between from February 26 – March
3, over 35 researchers and practitioners from across Africa were gathered at
Kabira resort Kampala Uganda for an intense week of study on research methods
that underpin Internet policy and advocacy on the continent. The workshop
participants were drawn from 16 African countries while the faculties were
drawn from within Africa, Europe and the United States.
His session witnessed some panelists including Mrs.
Treasure Uchegbu, Taiwo Fashola, Programme Coordinator, Center for African
Renaissance and Development (CEFARRD), Uchechi Chukwuma and officials of
Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) led by Murtala Ariyo, among
others.
