The Centre for Information Technology and Development said the
proposed bill on the regulation of social media will be a major threat
to democracy when passed into law.
This was contained in a press statement signed by the Executive Director CITAD YZ Ya’u and obtained by DAILY POST in Dutse.
He said the law will only gag the media and give security agencies
power to detain and oppress whoever they see as critical dissent, threat
or enemy to the government in power.
“The law will also give them the power to arrest individuals whose views are contrary to those holding political power.”
He explained that the bill proposed by the Nigerian Senate to
regulate the social media named “Protection from Internet Falsehoods and
Manipulations Bill, 2019” was aimed at denying the citizens their
fundamental human rights as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
“Nigerian security agencies who have been harassing, detaining
individuals without court order/defying court orders, killing unarmed
citizens both at peaceful protests and check points have hidden behind
the senate to introduce a law that will give them more power in
incarcerating and denying the citizens their fundamental human rights as
enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
“The bill if allowed to pass into law, it will give the security
agencies the right to heighten the arbitrary arrest and detention of
individuals and to clamp down organizations that are critical to their
operations.”
CITED, therefore, urged Senate to as a matter of public interest and
respect of democratic principles to withdraw the proposed bill.
It also urged the general public and media houses to engage the
Nigerian Senate in a peaceful and lawful manner to ensure the withdrawal
of the bill.