Human rights attorney Inibehe Effiong has publicly criticised Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi for his claim that cursing someone online constitutes cyberbullying and is a criminal offense under Nigerian law.
In a statement made on December 20, 2024, Adejobi claimed via a post on X, "Raining direct curses on someone online is cyberbullying, not an expression of freedom or criticism. And cyberbullying, which is even different from defamation, is a criminal offence and punishable. Be guided."
Effiong, however, vehemently disagreed with this interpretation, describing it as "ignorance of the law raised to power 1000." He argued that no part of Nigerian law explicitly defines cursing as a criminal act. "To be clear, raining curses on someone is not a criminal offence and I challenge the Force PRO to cite any law that supports his statement," Effiong stated.
Citing Section 36 (12) of the Nigerian Constitution, Effiong emphasized that for an act to be considered a crime, it must be expressly defined in written law. He further explained, "Curses do not constitute a threat to the life of the person that is cursed. Curses do not have effect or value in the eyes of the law for the simple reason that they are premised on superstition, or at best the supernatural forces."
Effiong also pointed out that the Cybercrimes Act had been amended and the provisions of the old Section 24, which the police allegedly used to target critics, have been repealed. "What is more appalling is the fact that the supposed image maker of the @PoliceNG does not know that the Cybercrimes Act had since been amended," he remarked.
The lawyer urged Nigerians to disregard Adejobi's statement, labeling it as baseless. "I urge Nigerians to ignore the misleading statement of @Princemoye1 as same is baseless. What a shame!" Effiong concluded.
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