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THE US, British, Finnish, Norwegian and Canadian governments, yesterday, expressed concerns over the misuse of Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act to harass, intimidate and arrest people for expressing themselves.
The five countries, in a statement by their embassies and high commissions yesterday, said the misuse of the Act does only undermines democratic advancement and civic participation, but also jeopardises the confidence of investors and risks deterring the innovation needed for economic growth.
The statement, signed by Richard M. Mills, Jr., U.S. Embassy; Richard Montgomery, British High Commission; Sanna Selin, Embassy of Finland; Svein Baera, Embassy of Norway; and Pasquale Salvaggio, Canadian High Commission, read: ‘’On Democracy Day, the heads of missions of the United States, United Kingdom, Finland, Norway, and Canada would like to recognise and congratulate the Nigerian people’s commitment to 26 years of democratic governance.
“Healthy democracies are formed of many important ingredients and when marking 25 years of democracy in Nigeria in 2024, President Tinubu underlined that in Nigeria ‘there must be diverse perspectives and viewpoints.’
“Free expression has long been a core value of Nigeria’s democracy. Nigeria’s constitution enshrines the right to freedom of expression, aiming to protect its citizens’ rights and foster a society where people can debate and discuss ideas free from government control.
“This right, a principle of trusting ordinary citizens to discuss the virtual public square, remains vital today.
“In April, Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, raised concerns about the 2015 Cybercrimes Act, the amendments made to it in 2024, and the law’s impact on free expression.
“The Act has laudable aims: to combat online fraud and cyberattacks. There is growing evidence, however, that the Act is being misused by some to silence criticism and dissent. Vanguard
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