Hate Speech: NBA Working with Security Agencies to punish Offenders

NBA President, Abubakar Mahmoud

Abubakar Mahmoud, the president of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on media houses and opinion leaders to be careful of the kind of contents published or distributed on their platforms.

According to Premium Times, Mahmoud, in a statement said that the NBA is working with the appropriate security agencies to ensure accountability for ‘hate speech’ offenders.

Read the statement below:

The NBA commits to working with the appropriate security agencies to ensure accountability for such acts.

Accordingly, I have today directed the Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) and the Human Rights Institute of the NBA (NBA-HRI) to collaborate with the National Secretariat of the NBA in a unit to monitor and liaise with security agencies to ensure accountability for hate speech and incitement to identity-based hatred in Nigeria.

We are “deeply concerned” at the recent heightened agitation by individuals, groups, and organisations calling for the break up of the country.

Admittedly, the content of these messages do not represent the views of most Nigerians, who remain peace-loving.

The NBA is concerned, nevertheless, that these acts of hate speech threatening secession, war and violent break up of the country have been allowed to persist to the point where they are now creating fear and anxiety amongst the people of Nigeria and sending panic signals to our neighbours and the international community.

They have, in addition, shaken investor confidence in our country, contributing to slowing down economic and social activities.

The NBA reaffirms its belief in unity and sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

We believe that the peoples of Nigeria, irrespective of diversities of identity, face common and shared everyday challenges and desire a stable and secure country based on justice, equity and the rule of law.

The NBA is convinced that our peoples have consistently shown the capacity and desire to live together in a federation under democratically elected government, which alone can guarantee the conditions for addressing the imperfections that ail our country.

Photo Credit: Linkedin – Abubakar Mahmoud