Dare Babalola
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, on Sunday criticised the use of cybercrime laws and law enforcement against Nigerians over social media comments, citing an old post by singer Adekunle Gold made during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Sowore’s comments followed the reported jailing of an X user, Samuel Adeboye Adeyeye, popularly known as “Swanky_concept,” who was sentenced to two years imprisonment after reportedly pleading guilty to spreading false information online claiming that Adekunle Gold and his wife, Simi, had lost their daughter, Deja.
Reacting in a statement shared online, Sowore reposted a 2012 tweet by Adekunle Gold in which the singer wrote, “Dear God, if you give us Dagrin back, we will give you Jonathan in return. LOL.”
The activist argued that such comments were widely regarded as free speech at the time and would have attracted public outrage if the singer had been arrested over them.
“This was AdekunleGold in 2012 openly criticizing then President Goodluck Jonathan. Back then, it was rightly called free speech, and if he had been arrested for those tweets, we would have been on the streets demanding his immediate release,” Sowore said.
He questioned why individuals who once benefited from freedom of expression would later support the use of police and the courts against ordinary citizens over online exchanges and criticism.
“How then does someone who benefited from freedom of expression turn around years later to use the police, courts, and the brutal cybercrime framework against ordinary Nigerians over online banter and social media exchanges?” he asked.
Sowore maintained that freedom of expression must apply equally to all Nigerians regardless of social status, profession or influence.
“You cannot enjoy free speech when you are powerless and criminalize it the moment you become influential. Freedom of expression must apply to everyone, celebrities, politicians, activists, and poor young Nigerians on social media alike,” he stated.
He also accused the Nigeria Police Force of acting in the interest of wealthy and influential individuals, while criticising the judiciary for imposing harsh penalties over online speech.
“The Nigeria Police Force must stop acting as a private army for the rich and famous, while the judiciary must stop handing down outrageous punishments over internet speech that should never be criminal matters in the first place,” Sowore added.
The case has sparked mixed reactions online, with some Nigerians supporting the conviction as punishment for cyberbullying and misinformation, while others argued that the sentence was excessive and could pose a threat to freedom of expression in the country.
