Lagos lawyer, Chukwudi Enebeli, has deplored the rising hate speech and false claims against the judiciary, seeking better social media regulation to protect judges. He said those spreading hate speech, including traditional and social media platforms, ought to be held responsible.
   
Enebeli, a partner in Pinheiro LP, spoke as a panelist on the topic, “Fake news, cyber bullying and hate speech on social media: What is it and how do we deal with it?” at the ongoing 63rd yearly General Conference (AGC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja. He stated that fake news, cyber bullying and hate speech remained serious issues in the land because of the nation’s diversity and high illiteracy rate. 
  
According to him, the right to freedom of expression under the Constitution is not absolute due to the fact that the law book recognises that if the right is not curtailed, “then anarchy would be the order of the day.”
   
The legal practitioner argued that even though the Cybercrimes Prohibition Act and the Electoral Act have provisions to check hate speech, little had been done by the enforcing authorities. 
   
He also condemned lawyers and non-lawyers, who comment on judicial proceedings in a manner capable of inciting the public against the judiciary and the legal profession. 
   
Enebeli said: “We have seen an unprecedented increase in the manner in which both lawyers and non-lawyers go to the social media space and incite the public against judicial officers, and we are watching, and no one is speaking. 
 
“What is so painful is the fact that these judges cannot speak for themselves.” Enebeli, therefore, sought laws to regulate social media and cyberspace.  He added: “Both the networks and the various social media platforms must be made accountable. 
 
“In promulgating new laws, we must create an offence aimed at prohibiting both lawyers and non-lawyers from disseminating any information before, during and after proceedings, which are capable of inciting the people against the judiciary as it relates to matters in court.”
 
Other members of the panel included Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Prof. M.T. Ladan; Mrs Sola Salako-Ajulo and DCP Uche Ifeanyi Henry.