Human Rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has strongly criticized the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, for his recent statement on cyberbullying.
Adejobi had claimed that “raining direct curses on someone online” constitutes cyberbullying, which he described as a criminal offense punishable by law.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on December 20, Adejobi wrote:
“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.”
Reacting via his X handle, Effiong described Adejobi’s statement as baseless and indicative of ignorance of Nigerian law.
He argued that no legislation in Nigeria criminalizes “raining curses” on anyone.
“This is ignorance of the law raised to power 1000,” Effiong wrote. “The fact that this very ridiculous opinion is from the spokesperson of the primary law enforcement agency in Nigeria says a lot about the decadence of our institutions.”
Effiong explained that under Section 36(12) of the Nigerian Constitution, for an act to be deemed a crime, it must be expressly and specifically defined under a written law. He challenged Adejobi to cite any legal provision that supports his claim.
“Curses do not constitute a threat to life, nor do they have any effect or value in the eyes of the law because they are premised on superstition or supernatural beliefs,” Effiong added.
“For example, telling someone ‘it shall not be well with you’ is merely a prayer. Wishing someone evil is not a matter for legal redress.”
Effiong further criticized the police spokesperson for being unaware that the Cybercrimes Act had been amended.
He noted that the controversial provisions of Section 24, which were previously used to target critics, had been repealed.
“The law does not concern itself with trifling matters or spiritual issues,” Effiong emphasized.
He accused Adejobi of inventing imaginary offenses and urged Nigerians to disregard the statement, calling it misleading and baseless.
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