Social media bill: Protesters accuse Senate of planning to gag Nigerians

- Some Nigerians protesting at the National Assembly complex are demanding that the Senate drop the bill seeking to regulate social media in the country

- The protesters say the plan to regulate social media and curb hate speech in the country is a disguise to infringe on the rights of Nigerians to free speech

- Those who took part in the protest stated that the social media bill is another draconian decree to gag Nigerians

Some Nigerians on Wednesday, November 27, protested at the National Assembly over a bill in the Senate seeking to regulate social media.

Premium Times reports that the protest march which was divided into two parts began at a section of the National Assembly gate while another set moved in through the left flank of the gate.

The Cable reports that those who took part in the protest comprised of individuals and civil society organisations.

The protesters described the plan to regulate social media and curb hate speech in the country as a disguise to infringe on the rights of Nigerians to free speech.

While carrying placards denouncing the bill, they said the social media bill was another draconian decree to gag the Nigerian populist.

Meanwhile, the legislator credited with sponsoring the social media regulatory bill, Senator Mohammed Musa, has faulted claims that he plagiarised a similar bill recently passed into law in Singapore.

There have been claims on the internet that the lawmaker's bill entitled ‘Protection from Internet falsehood and manipulations bill 2019’, was plagiarised from a bill, which was not too long ago signed into law by the government of Singapore.

But Senator Mohammed Musa, who faulted the claim on his Twitter handle on Saturday, November 23, explained that all over the world, legislation in one country can influence laws in another country especially when the issue presents similar challenges of regulation.

In another report, the senator representing Benue South senatorial constituency at the ninth Senate, Abba Moro, has debunked reports that he is against the use of social media by Nigerian on the internet space.

Reacting to an outrage of his contribution on the floor of the plenary on Tuesday, November 26, when the Internet Falsehoods and Manipulations Bill was introduced by the lawmaker representing Niger East, Mohammed Sani, Moro said he was quoted out of context.

Moro said the twist of his contributions have generated diverse reactions and concerns from many people, especially his constituents in Benue South.

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