The United Nations and the United Kingdom have opposed the death penalty clause in the proposed National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speech Bill introduced by Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Sabi Abdullahi.

The UN described the death penalty as barbaric, noting that its inclusion in the bill was unacceptable.

According to the bill, any person who violates the law shall be liable to life imprisonment and where the act causes any loss of life, the person shall be punished with death by hanging.

But the spokesman, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Mr Olusola Macaulay, in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Thursday, said the global body would not support the bill, noting that a UNESCO advocacy group, Media and Information Literacy Coalition, would soon meet with the National Assembly over the proposed legislation.

He said, “We are trying to pay an advocacy visit to the government and do some lobbying. There is a coalition working already, it was formed with the support of UNESCO.

“They are working to meet with the National Assembly to express their mind and possibly advise the government to have a different narrative to the issue of hate speech and fake news.”

Macaulay also said the UN would lobby the Federal Government on the legislation, adding that what was needed is public enlightenment and education about hate speech and not a law stipulating the death penalty for violators.

He said, “I’m not sure what the government needs now is a bill or an idea to shut down people or prevent people from being able to express themselves or express their freedom of thought or information. What I think the government should do more is to enlighten the people.”
The UN agency said most Nigerians were ignorant of issues relating to media and information literacy, noting that a harsh law was not the solution to the challenge.

The global body noted, “Every human being has the right to life and you cannot cut off people’s lives just because someone has expressed his opinion. Nobody is saying hate speech is good.


Hate speech and fake news have been there from time immemorial and it is barbaric to say now that we want to hang people because they expressed their feelings or what they had in mind. So, censoring people or limiting people from participating in politics might not be the correct thing. As I said, the best thing to do is to educate the people.”

Macaulay queried the government for not holding politicians engaging in hate speech to account, noting that many of them had said things that could destabilise the country without being held liable.

The British Government said it supports the right of individuals to express opinions and peacefully challenge authority as an essential part of a free and open society, noting that it was following discussions around the proposed legislation closely.

Commenting on the bill in an emailed response to inquiries by The PUNCH on Wednesday, Her Majesty’s Government said while it takes a strong stand against hate speech which could incite violence and damage relationships within the society, it supports “the right of individuals to express opinions and peacefully challenge authority as an essential part of a free and open society.”

The statement signed by the Senior Press and Public Affairs Officer, British High Commission, Abuja, Chris Ogunmodede, said, “The UK government is following discussions around the proposed Prohibition of Hate Speech bill closely.”

It added, “We take a strong stand against hate speech, which can incite violence and damage community relationships within society. We also strongly support the right of individuals to express opinions and peacefully challenge authority as an essential part of a free and open society.

“The UK strongly opposes the inclusion of the death penalty in any piece of legislation, as a matter of principle.”

https://punchng.com/un-uk-reject-death-penalty-for-hate-speech/

Hate speech and fake news have been there from time immemorial and it is barbaric to say now that we want to hang people because they expressed their feelings or what they had in mind.

There's freedom of Speech

Buhari and his supporters reasons from their anus

Everything done or to be done by the Buhari administration is furtherance of imposing himself for a third term. Senate President Lawan recently said any law Buhari sends to parliament is good that tell the State of our parliament and our representative, I won't be surprised if the Constitution is amended to offer Buhari a third term. APC can do anything.

What zone b's don't know is that they will be worse off with this anti-social bill

Nigerians deserve even worse than the anti socal media bill until they decide to have sense.
I'm glad the death penalty punishment will be for everyone not just "wailers".

The irony of all this is that Messrs Suffering and Hardship neither know ethnicity nor religion.

Who(what) you voted have started doing what u voted them to do. Since we decided 2 bring buhari back, let's enjoy our next level in silence. No complains.

Senate: death penalty for hate speech

Me: let me say all i can now before the rubber stamp Senate finally makes that a law.

Bubu wey mumu
Bubu greatest Nigerian scammer ever liveth

Lair Muhammad wey no get sense
given him 100 mics and he has different lies for each one of them.

Tinubu.. Oga Bullion van.

Racoon:


https://www.google.com/amp/s/theeagleonline.com.ng/death-penalty-our-party-architect-of-hate-speech-apc-chieftain/

Full stop!!!!!

J111333:
Nigerians deserve even worse than the anti socal media bill until they decide to have sense.
I'm glad the death penalty punishment will be for everyone not just "wailers".

The irony of all this is that Messrs Suffering and Hardship neither know ethnicity nor religion.

U are so on point......no sane person will support Buhari and his government.......he acts as if he on a revenge mission on Nigeria before he joins his ancestors

UN, expect those zombies to term you IPOB

Though I am not in supports of the death penalty for hate speech.

But this UN, UK should go and fix their home problems first before poke nosing into ours

[s]

helinues:
Though I am not in supports of the death penalty for hate speech.

But this UN, UK should go and fix their home problems first before poke nosing into ours

[/s]

If leader lead well then the hate will reduce.
If I say I hate buhari would it be considered hate speech.



That suya guy has gone AWOL. PLEASE CARING FRIENDS HELP MAKE SURE ITS SAFE.
NOT GETTING YOUR 30K IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. YOU COULD PLEAD WITH MIYETTI TO GIVE YOU COWS ON CREDITS.
YOU ANNOY ME BUT I STILL GOT LOVE FOR YOU, DONT GET DEPRESSED AND KILL YOURSELF, WE MUST ALL ENJOY THIS NEXT LEVEL TOGETHER.

Lol! They should mind their business. Our supreme leader is in charge.

If you can leave this country please do. Its getting worse by the day

Even though I'm from the middle belt, let's agree that northern Nigeria is a clog to the wheel of Nigerian progress.

If only Gideon okar's coup had worked we wouldn't have being where we are at the moment.

The mere action of proposing the death penalty is enough to recall the useless senator

The Bill is a good idea. But the proposed punishment is an over kill.

6 months to 12 months in prison is good enough.

This is not GEJ's administration that was licking the ass of the Western world, the UN, US and UK should not interfere in our process at all.
Nigeria is an independent sovereign country for crying out loud.

Some of us are scared to commit suicide but the new hate speech bill will now passes that buck to the government.

Na wah for naija

Not long ago, SARAKI was Nigeria's only problem, yesterday it was IMPORTED RICE today it's HATE SPEECH



If Death sentence is for 'Hate Speech, What sentence will be for FAKE CAMPAIGN PROMISES?

Dear Gad only one ideology prescribes death for speech and that religion is using your secular system to make itself the law of the land

Misplaced priorities. Why not death penalty for corrupt politicians and public office holders?

Imagine

helinues:
Though I am not in supports of the death penalty for hate speech.

But this UN, UK should go and fix their home problems first before poke nosing into ours

Stop lying. You're in support. You don't want people to query your Lord Bubu.

We are ahead of you, so we know what Zone B like your kind are saying.

Why not death penalty for public office holders who corruptly enriched themselves.

NwaAmaikpe:

We are waiting
Zone B will termed UN as Ipob now.

We deserve all nonsense from this Rubber Stamp Government. Our Mumu never do believe me

This is no longer democracy.