The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria has called on the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to champion changes to Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act.
HURIWA made the call while congratulating Fagbemi on 30 years as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. The organisation argued that aspects of the cybercrime provision remain capable of being invoked against journalists and citizens engaged in public-interest reporting or criticism.
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The organisation wants the provision substantially amended or removed where necessary to prevent criminal-law enforcement from becoming a mechanism for suppressing lawful speech.
The wider concern is the recurring tension between two legitimate objectives: protecting individuals from threats, harassment and harmful electronic communications, while ensuring that criminal legislation is sufficiently precise to prevent arbitrary enforcement.
For the legal community, the continuing controversy surrounding Section 24 underscores the need for legislation that clearly distinguishes actual cybercrime from robust criticism, investigative journalism and legitimate public-interest communication.
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