- Inibehe Effiong argues that insulting someone online is not a crime under Nigerian law, despite police claims.
A war of words has erupted between human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, and the national spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force, Muyiwa Adejobi, over claims that online insults constitute cyberbullying, a criminal offence.
In a tweet on Friday morning, Adejobi asserted that insulting someone online amounts to cyberbullying, which he described as a punishable criminal offence. He stated: “Raining direct curses on someone online is cyberbullying, not expression of freedom or criticism. And cyberbullying, which is even different from defamation, is a criminal offence and punishable. Be guided.”
Effiong, however, strongly disagreed with Adejobi’s statement, calling it “ridiculous” and unsupported by Nigerian law. The lawyer argued that the position of the police is unconstitutional and that no law in Nigeria criminalizes insulting or cursing someone online.
Effiong countered, “The fact that this very ridiculous opinion is from the spokesperson of the primary law enforcement agency in Nigeria says a lot about the decadence of our institutions.” He continued to challenge Adejobi to cite any law that criminalizes online insults.
Referring to the Nigerian Constitution, Effiong pointed out that for any act or omission to be considered a crime, it must be clearly defined in written law, as stated in Section 36(12). He dismissed Adejobi’s statement as an invention, noting that curses do not constitute a threat to life and are not recognized by the law. He explained, “Curses do not have effect or value in the eyes of the law for the simple reason that they are premised on superstition, or at best the supernatural forces.”
Effiong also criticized Adejobi for being unaware of the amendments to the Cybercrimes Act, which have repealed previous provisions used by the police to target critics.
Effiong concluded by urging Nigerians to disregard Adejobi’s statement, calling it baseless and misleading.
