Fake news peddlers living outside Kaduna State will not be free from prosecution if they circulate fake news about the State, Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who himself has been accused of having a long history of spreading fake news, has said.
El Rufai made this declaration on Tuesday last week at the launch of a book written by famous blogger Japheth Omojuwa and titled ‘Digital Wealth’. While fingering social media as a huge aid in fake news spread, the Governor also stated that persons who tweet or re-tweet fake news stand the risk of being arrested, if the fake news results in loss of life or chaos.
In his words,
“we should not confuse freedom of expression with freedom to kill. If you tweet something that is fake or you tweet something that is reckless without checking and it leads to the death of people, then you deserve to be tried at least as an accessory before or after the fact of murder”
He also posited that distance was not a barrier as those found wanting anywhere outside the State would be brought before a Judge in Kaduna to be tried. He stated that it had been carried out two or three times in the past and promised not to intervene in court processes.
While affirming his commitment to the State, the Governor indicated that he had been duly elected to protect the lives of over 10 million people and would not watch the State fall to the guiles of fake news.
“in Kaduna State, we have done that very aggressively because there are things that have been put on social media that have led to the death of people. So, we take it very seriously. You cannot sit in Port-Harcourt and Lagos and start posting stuffs that leads to societal instability in Kaduna and we let you go. We will file charges, we will go and collect you (sic) from Port-Harcourt or Lagos and bring you before a Judge in Kaduna that will decide whether you are guilty…”.
Going further, he revealed that the state has strong laws against such cyber recklessness.
The Governor noted the useful side of social media by stating that social media could be used for good as well as for evil. As such, it could be wrong to look at only the negative sides, he said.
A gospel in irony
El Rufai has been in the news for longer than he had been Governor, a fact that may complicate things.
In 2011, El Rufai made a bogus claim that the government of then President Goodluck Jonathan was spending 2 billion daily. When asked for evidence he wrote a more damning piece where he referred to the Nation’s military Chief as the President’s Chief Goon; a word used to depict a foolish and unintelligent thug.
In 2014, El Rufai supported and propagated the fake news that Mr. Jonathan had snipers with which he intends to kill political opponent. He went further to suggest that he was on the list of people to be killed and his name was on number 7.
When the then Presidential hopeful Muhammadu Buhari was attacked by Boko Haram, El Rufai suggested on Twitter that Mr. Jonathan was behind it. When Mr. Jonathan visited the Chadian President to discuss border integrity and corporation to fight Boko Haram, El Rufai again took to Twitter to suggest that the then President had gone there to plan more attacks on Nigeria.
“Boko Haram: Jonathan Visits Chadian President, Idris Deby for the Second Time in Two Months http://t.co/dD4WKLr1rT”…to plan more attacks?
— Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai (@elrufai) November 25, 2014
El Rufai is also on record referring to the Nigerian Army as genocidal. Earlier in 2012, he threatened that anyone who kills a Fulani “soldier or not” will pay for it.
GENOCIDAL JONATHANIAN ARMY KILLS ONCE AGAIN: Zakzaky Speaks: My sons were taken alive, then summarily executed by… http://t.co/rHfBB5uyos
— Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai (@elrufai) July 26, 2014
In yet another tweet El Rufai referred to Christians and Niger Deltans as part of the three types of Boko Haram and clearly stated that they are funded by the then President and the former leader of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.
Those interested in understanding the metamorphosis and variants of Boko Haram will find this compilation helpful. pic.twitter.com/VfYJnhZgbL
— Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai (@elrufai) September 8, 2014
The Governor still has these tweets on his verified account even as he threatens those who do same with arrest and prosecution.
A history of rumours and strive, Armed with the law
According Part 3, Section 24(1b) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015, anyone who sends a message which he “…knows to be false, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety to another….” has committed a crime that attracts a fine of 7 million Naira or imprisonment for 3 years or both. It depends on the discretion of the Judge based on the facts of the matter. This crime is called Cyber Stalking.
Other parts of the law prohibit messages that put people in danger, threaten, or harass someone. These laws are meant to operate all over the country and being that Nigeria does not have State Police, the Governor appeared in line when he warned of prosecution for anyone anywhere in Nigeria who spreads fake news about Kaduna.
According to Dr. Leena Koni Hoffman of the African Programme, between 10,000 and 20,000 people are estimated to have died in incidents across Kaduna State since 1980.
Most of these violence begin with riots inspired by rumours about what was or is about to be done. Most of those rumours untrue.
Kaduna is seen as volatile because of its controversial estimate of Muslim and Christian population.
In 2018, the Federal Government launched a national campaign against fake news. Speaking in Abuja, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had cautioned Nigerians to avoid sharing information they cannot vouch its authenticity on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter or Whatsapp. This would serve as a measure to curtail the spread of fake news according to the Minister.
Mohammed noted that the campaign was to sensitize Nigerians about the dangers that fake news poses to peace, security and the nation’s corporate existence as he described fake news as an epidemic, a present danger to global peace and security, a disaster waiting to happen and a threat against democracy. Adding to this, he mentioned that fake news undermines confidence in the media and could make people to lose faith in it. He also said that though there were existing laws against fake news, the government did not want to resort to coercion or censorship.
Last week, the Nigeria Police Force made a call for a fake news prohibition act. The proposal was made during a conference on countering fake news organized by the BBC World Service in Abuja.
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who was present at the event, stated that collaboration between countries was necessary in curbing fake news. He blamed fake news spread on social media on lack of accountability. To buttress this, he stated that the traditional media operates in a responsible manner because they can be held accountable easily and they know the repercussion of fake news.
Prof. Wole Soyinka who was also in attendance, argued that existing laws on fake news should be enforced rather than creating new laws. He also added that Nigeria had enough legislation to check fake news and advised that it was left for law enforcement agencies to take these laws more serious as fake news could disrupt the mentality of a vulnerable generation.
