IgbereTV reports that a Nigerian political economist, lawyer and presidential candidate of Young Progressive Party (YPP) in the 2019 presidential election, Professor Kingsley Moghalu has condemned the Anti Hate speech Bill proposed by the Nigeria senate.
Kingsley Moghalu stated this on Twitter:
It’s shocking that the proposed “death by hanging” bill against hate speech can even be mooted in a democracy. The bill deserves to be hanged!
Recall that the Senate on Tuesday recommended that culprits of any form of hate speech should be penalised to die by hanging if convicted.
The Senate also provided that any person found guilty of the criminal act should be accorded life jail sentence and or five years imprisonment, depending on the gravity of the hate speech.
These severe penalties are provided in the proposed bill to establish the National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speech which passed first reading in Senate on Tuesday.
The bill which was introduced for the first time in plenary was sponsored by Senator Abdullahi Sabi Aliyu (Niger North).
According to the Bill, “hate speeches are comments that insult people for their religion, ethnic, linguistic affiliation, racial contempt among others.”
By the establishment of the commission, if the bill is enacted, hate speech would become criminalised and the severe penalties shall be applied to offenders.
Also, the Bill, if enacted, would provide the offenders an option of fine to the huge sum of N10 million.
The Bill is expected to eradicate all manner of hate speeches peddled by individuals or organisations and also make hate speeches against ethnic nationalities or persons become a serious unpardonable crime.
