Nigerian Senate Is Trying To Pass Bill To Stifle Social Media Users

The Nigerian Senate is aiming to pass a bill that will jail Nigerians for up to 4 years if information published on social media is deemed false.
The bill sponsored by Senator Ibn Na’Allah, an APC member from Kebbi South.

The bill is called “A Bill for an Act to Prohibit frivolous Petitions and other Matters Connected therewith”.
It reads thus,
“Where any person in order to circumvent this law makes any allegation and or publish any statement, petition in any paper, radio, or any medium of whatever description, with malicious intent to discredit or set the public against any person or group of persons, institutions of government, he shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction, shall be liable to an imprisonment term of two years or a fine of N4,000,000.00” the bill specified.
On social media, the bill reads;
“Where any person through text message ,tweets, WhatsApp or through any social media post any abusive statement knowing same to be false with intent to set the public against any person and group of persons, an institution of government or such other bodies established by law shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction, shall be liable to an imprisonment for two years or a fine of N2,000,000.00 or both fine and imprisonment.”
“Where any person in order to circumvent this law makes any allegation and or publish any statement, petition in any paper, radio, or any medium of whatever description, with malicious intent to discredit or set the public against any person or group of persons, institutions of government, he shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction, shall be liable to an imprisonment term of two years or a fine of N4,000,000.00” the bill specified.
On social media, the bill reads;
“Where any person through text message ,tweets, WhatsApp or through any social media post any abusive statement knowing same to be false with intent to set the public against any person and group of persons, an institution of government or such other bodies established by law shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction, shall be liable to an imprisonment for two years or a fine of N2,000,000.00 or both fine and imprisonment.”