Fact check: Na true say Nigeria Senate pass new cybercrime law wey fit land social media group admins for prison?
Wia dis foto come from, Nigeria Senate/Facebook
Recently, one broadcast message dey fly around on top WhatsApp about one new cybercrime law wey di Nigeria Senate bin pass into law.
According to di message, di name of di law na di 'Cybercrimes Act 2025' and na di National Assembly under di Senate President Godswill Akpabio bin pass am into law.
Oneline, di viral message tok say: "If you be Administrator for WhatsApp Group, Facebook Page, Telegram Channel, or any oda online community, you fit dey liable for di content wey members share for di group if you knowingly allow make dem post illegal content or you fail to moderate am well."
Dis message don go viral on top various social media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and X, and some popular social media influencers don also share am.
Media personality Daddy Freeze also share am ontop im Facebook story wia e get more dan 1.3 million followers.
Wia dis foto come from, Daddy Freeze/Facebook
Also, for one place wia dem share di message on Facebook, e don get more dan 1,100 reactions, 550 comments and 345 shares.
But how true be dis viral message?
Notin like 'Cybercrimes Act 2025'
Checks by BBC News Pidgin show say no law wey di name na 'Cybercrimes Act 2025' dey exist for Nigeria.
Di cybercrimes law wey dey operational for di kontri na 'Di Nigeria Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act 2024', and na President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sign am into law on February 28, 2024.
Di first cybercrimes act for Nigeria bin come into existence for 2015 bifor dem amend am for 2024.
So, di first clarification be say no new cybercrime law 2025 bin dey passed into law by di National Assembly. Di newest cybercrime law for Nigeria na di 2024 one wey be amendment of di 2015 law.
Also, according to initial checks wey BBC News Pidgin do, dis viral message start to dey spread from late July dis year, but for dat period di Senate no pass any new cybercrime bill into law.
In fact, members of di National Assembly don embark on a two-month recess since 24 July and dem no go resume sitting until 23 September.
Anoda claim for di viral message wey dey misleading be say social media group admins fit go to prison if dem fail to remove fake news or misinformation wey members share for di group.
Section 24 of di Cybercrimes Law 2024 tok say "Any pesin wey knowingly or intentionally send message wey e know say na false, for di purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will, or needless anxiety to anyone... commit offence and e dey liable on conviction to a fine of seven million naira or three years in prison, or both".
Di law no mention anytin about social media admins, however, social media companies fit get fine or govment go block dem if dem fail to comot offensive contents quickly.
Some key points for di Cybercrimes Law 2024
Wia dis foto come from, National Assembly Library Trust Fund
- Security agencies get power to monitor or intercept communications witout court order, but na for urgent cases and matters wey concern national security.
- Telecoms companies get power to hold on to users data for long time.
- Sharing fake news or misleading information fit land pesin for prison or dem go knack di pesin big fine. Critics say na dis be di major provision wey police dey use to arrest tori pipo and activists.
- Social media companies wey allow disturbing content to tey for dia platform fit chop fine or govment go block am.
- Hacking and online fraud go attract prison sentencing wey reach 10 years.
- Unauthorised crypto transaction also dey banned.
- Pesin wey share racist or xenophobic material for internet, or threaten or insult sombodi becos e belong to a particular race, colour, decent, ethnic group, or religion, dat pesin fit chop five years for prison or 10 million naira fine or both.
- Pesin wey intentionally share di password of individual or group for unlawful purpose don commit offence wey fit land am for prison for two years or fine of 5 million naira.
- Na offense to wilfully intercept or access electronic communication witout authorisation. Dis fit include to record conversation witout di consent of all di parties wey dey involved.
- Also, pesin wey share or tamper wit a recorded conversation illegally dey commit offence.
- To manipulate ATM or POS machine in order to commit fraud na crime; five years in prison or 5 million naira fine or both
