The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the National Assembly to urgently abolish insult and defamation laws from the Nigerian Constitution.
SERAP made the call on Thursday, in series of tweets, calling on Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, to sponsor bill to that effect.
The advocacy group said this is necessitated due to the incessant abuse by federal and state authorities against critics at any given opportunity.
“BREAKING: Following the increasing use of ‘insult’ and defamation laws by governors and officials of @NigeriaGov to jail critics, we’re calling on President Buhari to publicly oppose the use of such laws and to ask @nassnigeria to repeal them, in line with international standards,” SERAP tweeted Thursday afternoon.
“BREAKING: We’re calling on @DrAhmadLawan @femigbaja to urgently sponsor a bill to abolish insult and defamation laws that are increasingly used by state governors and @NigeriaGov to jail journalists and critics.
‘Insult’ and defamation should never result in imprisonment,” SERAP added.
