Minister of State for Transportation, Gbemisola Saraki has faulted the
hate speech bill currently before the Senate.
Saraki maintained that the bill sponsored by Senator Sabi Abdullahi on
Tuesday was unnecessary.
The Minister spoke after the Federal Executive Council meeting on
Wednesday while reacting to the reintroduction of the hate speech
bill.
She stated that the CyberCrime Act already has provisions and
penalties for hate speech, hence no need for the current bill.
According to Saraki: “Be that as it may, I think the Cybercrime Act,
there is a law already in Nigeria, the cybercrime Act that has the
hate speech aspect in it.
“The reason I am not privileged to know the sponsor of the particular
bill that you mentioned, but there is a law. I stand to be corrected,
I think it was passed in 2014/2015 I am not particularly sure but
there is a law that takes care of…
“Because cybercrime is now a major issue and as you know
internationally, the world over, everybody is concerned about it being
the new frontier to fight crime. So hate speech is within that
cybercrime aspect.”
Senator Sabi Abdullahi representing Niger North Senatorial district on
Tuesday sponsored a private bill to tackle hate speeches and other
social media related contents, considered antagonistic to the interest
of Nigerian society.
The lawmaker, who was Senate Spokesman in the 8th Senate and now
Deputy Chief Whip, wants the National Assembly to establish a
Commission with administrative structures to deal with hate speeches
in Nigeria.
The bill titled: “National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate
Speeches (Est., etc) bill, 2019 (SB. 154)” passed its first reading on
Tuesday.
The introduction of hate speech bill has since been met with backlash
from Nigerians and lawmakers.
