Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France), also known as lawyers without borders, has said the 2023 general elections and subsequent court cases that arose from the poll worsened cases of violation of human rights on the internet across Nigeria.
While stressing the need to sensitise Nigerians about digital rights, the organisation observed that human rights that are traditionally protected offline should also be protected and respected online.
Country Director of ASF France, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, stated this at the e-rights training for judges and lawyers on digital rights, Monday in Abuja.
She stated: “If you look at the population of Nigeria and also look at key incidents that might also have triggered an increase in digital rights violations such as the elections and everything that happened during the electioneering phase, including building up to the judgments by the tribunal and then the appeal courts. So we know that all of that has not only impacted on civic participation in terms of creating a platform for young people to really engage, but it has also exasperated the digital rights violations of the country and in various forms.
“So these are some of the indices that we can look at if we want to compare Nigeria to other countries who have not held their elections. We can also tell that in other countries where you have upcoming elections in Africa, that this is one of the key things that the electorate might want to monitor and the authorities in terms of deterrence”
Uzoma-Iwuchukwu noted further that the organisation was developing a platform under the e-rights project
where incidents of digital rights violations can be reported by citizens, activists and journalists.
According to her, “this will create a platform for us to track and be able to have verifiable statistics of digital rights violations in Nigeria.”
She added: “We are not limiting today’s activity to only judges in the FCT. In the next two few days, we’re also going to be training lawyers and judges from Kano states, we will follow that up with Lagos and Imo states.
“This is because these four states are the key pilot of the project. And we’re hoping that by starting off this conversation with the judiciary and the Legal community in Nigeria, we are contributing to the improvement of digital rights in Nigeria and particularly promotion of digital rights like freedom of expression, privacy rights, data protection of Nigerians on digital platforms.”
Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, said the significance of a training on digital rights cannot be overstated in an increasingly interconnected world, where the digital realm intertwines with every facet of our lives..
While assuring that the judiciary will ensure that rights of Nigerians whether offline or online are protected, the chief judge represented by Justice Ngozika Ndukwe-Nwabulusaid the training of the lawyers and judges can be highly useful for a variety of reasons, adding that “it equips individuals and professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the complex landscape of digital technologies, online communication, and the legal and ethical considerations that accompany them.”
He said: “The training will also provide an insight into laws and regulations related to digital technologies, including data protection, intellectual property, cybercrime, and internet governance.
“Understanding these laws can help individuals and organizations avoid legal issues and ensure compliance. Digital rights training often includes cybersecurity awareness, which is crucial in protecting oneself and organizations from cyber threats, data breaches, and online harassment.”
Speaking, Vice President of ASF France, Ivan Paneff, said the challenges of rights abuse on the internet space does not only affect Nigeria, noting that the invention of new tools, legislations, text and international agreement stressed the need to tackle the abuses in the electronic area.
