Olamide Oyetayo

Today, we are once again witnessing the reckless abuse of @policenh powers against social media users in Nigeria. What is even more disturbing is how some Nigerian celebrities now appear more eager than politicians and security agencies to throw largely poor young Nigerians into prison under the guise of “cybercrime,” simply because of internet banter or comments they dislike. I have read reports about singers like @Simi and @AdekunleGold allegedly using the police against critics online, and now similar allegations involving @ayrastarr and others keep surfacing. Meanwhile, these same celebrities sit comfortably among international stars abroad demanding respect and award for creative freedom and artistic expression, yet many of those global celebrities would never (and functioning systems) won’t let them weaponize the police, corrupt prosecutors, or compromised court judges against ordinary citizens over free speech or online commentary. This growing culture of criminalizing speech, jokes, criticism, trolling, and online banter is dangerous to democracy and fundamentally incompatible with freedom of expression. The real shame belongs to the irresponsible Nigeria Police Force @PoliceNG and sections of the justice system that continue enabling these abuses instead of protecting citizens’ rights. The police must stop acting as private enforcers for the rich, connected and powerful. Nigerians cannot continue to be shipped to prison because influential people are offended online. #RevolutionNow

This was @AdekunleGold in 2012 openly criticizing then President @GoodluckJonathan. Back then, it was rightly called free speech, and if he had been arrested for those tweets, we would have been on the streets demanding his immediate release. How then does someone who benefited from freedom of expression turn around years later to use the police, courts, and the brutal cybercrime framework against ordinary Nigerians over online banter and social media exchanges? You cannot enjoy free speech when you are powerless and criminalize it the moment you become influential. Freedom of expression must apply to everyone, celebrities, politicians, activists, and poor young Nigerians on social media alike. The Nigeria Police Force @PoliceNG must stop acting as a private army for the rich and famous, while the judiciary must stop handing down outrageous punishments over internet speech that should never be criminal matters in the first place.