A digital rights group, Paradigm Initiative, has vowed to challenge the Nigerian government’s latest attempt to curtail free speech online.

The organisation made this known in a statement Saturday, while condemning the recent order by the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, that security agencies should “Tackle the propagation of hate speech through the social media, particularly by some notable Nigerians.”

Mr Dan Ali, who gave the order after a security meeting presided by President Muhammadu Buhari, did not provide detail as to what constitutes “hate speech” and the criteria that would be employed by security agencies to determine when free speech becomes “hate speech”.

The Initiative’s Digital Rights Program Manager for Anglophone West Africa, Boye Adegoke said “We are deeply concerned that free speech online continues to suffer sustained attacks from agents of government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

 

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/rights-group-challenges-fg-s-social-media-surveillance.html