Claim: An X user posted that President Tinubu prescribed some years in prison and fines for refusing to sing the national anthem, for protests, and for insulting the president and politicians, or religious leaders, among others.
Verdict: False! President Tinubu has not made any new laws or imposed fines against protesters or other issues. Rather, the House of Assembly speaker is set to read a bill on the same on the floor of the House.
Full Text
Over the years, Nigeria has grappled with complex issues surrounding freedom of speech and expression. Under military regimes, when freedom of speech was severely curtailed, laws like the Public Order Decree were enacted, which gave authorities broad powers to restrict public gatherings and expression deemed detrimental to national security.
While the military regime is now history, recent years have seen a resurgence of debates around freedom of speech in Nigeria. The government has faced criticism for introducing or considering laws that some perceive as encroaching on fundamental human rights. Some notable examples include the Social Media Bill, the Anti-Fake News Bill, and the Hate Speech Bill, among others. These proposed laws have sparked intense debate among civil society groups, journalists, and human rights advocates, who fear they could undermine democratic principles and create a chilling effect on free expression in Nigeria.
As these details continue to be debated in the public space, on August 13, 2024, an X user, @MickaelCbearnard, posted a tweet claiming that President Tinubu prescribed some years in prison and fines for Nigerians who refused to sing the national anthem for protests, insulting the president and politicians or religious leaders among other penalties.
The tweet reads:
“While we were dragging SA (South Africa), Tinubu began passing a new law. The bill prescribes 10 years in prison + 5 million fine for anyone who refuses to sing the national anthem. It also prescribes 5 years for anyone who protests. And finally, 2 years in prison for anyone who insults Tinubu.
“And it’s not just that. If you insult any politician, you get 2 years in prison. Ranging from councillor, LGA chairman, SSA to SA to governor or PA to a traditional ruler. If you insult a pastor or Imam, 2 years in prison. If you receive donations from the diaspora for protest or campaign against Tinubu, 20 years in prison.”
As of August 15, 2024, the post had been viewed over 950,000 times, generating over 6,300 likes, 7,400 retweets, and 850 comments on X.
It has also received reactions from users, who expressed outrage and disbelief.
An X user, @Amazirostanley, wrote: “This is an abuse of the power of the office of the president. It will lead to more protests. He should arrest us all. Protest is a right.”
@mosdefdbest wrote: “These people are lower beings than animals. Gradually, this man is turning the democracy we don’t have into an autocracy.”
While expressing scepticism at the post, @Quests_Ans queried: “Does he have that right?”
Having observed the various reactions and engagement generated by the post and its virality by other platform users, DUBAWA decided to fact-check it.
Verification
The bill seeking fines and imprisonment for Nigerians who embarrass leaders, among other issues, was sponsored by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, not President Tinubu.
Mr Tajudeen’s bill, introduced on 24 July 2024 and titled the Counter Subversive Bill, according to its explanatory memoranda, “seeks to criminalise subversive activities by associations, organisations, militias, cults, bandits, and other proscribed groups in Nigeria.”
Further defending and taking ownership of the bill being tagged to the president, the speaker, in a statement by his media aide, Musa Krishi, said: “It is currently at the introductory stage and has not yet been subjected to detailed legislative scrutiny.”
The statement further notes that it falls within Nigeria’s anti-terrorism framework. The Bill awaits the second reading, during which the general principles will be debated.
However, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly breaks down the power relations of the three arms of government, which are clearly defined to ensure the promotion of good governance. The provisions of section 5(1) of the 1999 Constitution are very apt in this regard.
Conclusion
Our findings show that the claim that President Tinubu prescribed some years in prison and fines for protesters who refuse to sing the national anthem and insult the president and politicians, among other issues, is false.
The researcher produced this fact-check per the DUBAWA 2024 Kwame KariKari Fellowship, in partnership with Diamond 88.5 FM Nigeria, to enrich the ethos of “truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.
