Nigerian Senate Proposes 2-Year Jail Term for Those Posting False Info on Social Media

ABUJA–According to a Vanguard report, a bill seeking a two-year jail term for any person who makes any allegation or publishes any statement or petition in the newspaper, radio or medium of any kind against another person, institutions of government or any public office holder, passed second reading in the Senate, yesterday.

The bill, tagged: “A Bill for an Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and other Matters Connected therewith”, is sponsored by Senator Ibn Na’Allah, APC, Kebbi South, and compels petitioners to accompany their petitions with sworn court affidavit, failure of which will attracts a six- month imprisonment upon conviction by a law court.

The bill also covers all those who send text messages and posts on social media with false information, stating that, “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.”