The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has cautioned the Senate against approving the controversial Hate Speech bill.
DAILY POST reports that the bill which has passed second reading on the floor of the Red Chanbers prescribes a penalty of death sentence for those who make hateful speech that results in death of other citizens.
In a statement on Friday, the NUJ National Secretary, Shuaibu Leman, said while the union shared the concerns being expressed by the sponsor of the bill, it was pertinent to caution against prescribing capital punishment for hate speech, principally because it could be used indiscriminately against perceived political opponents by unscrupulous members of the political elite.
“It is instructive to note that citizens are entitled to free speech even if they hold offensive and hurtful opinions. We also cannot forget that people have the right to be biased, even offensive in their speech even if journalism is different and we have to be aware of this.
“It is therefore our considered opinion that it is pertinent to avoid such pitfalls in our bid to come up with legislation to curtail the excesses of citizens,” Mr. Leman said.
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