The Senate has introduced a bill which seeks to establish a federal government agency to check hate speech in the country.
The Senate announced deliberations on the bill during its plenary on Tuesday via twitter.
The bill, sponsored by a former Senate spokesperson, who is now the Deputy Senate Whip, Sabi Abdullahi, passed first reading on the floor of the red chamber on Tuesday.
It is titled, “National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speeches (Earn, etc) Bill 2019.
A similar bill sponsored by Abdullahi in the 8th Senate prescribed among others, death by hanging for anyone found guilty of the offence.
Nigerians have reacted swiftly on social media, to the development, which many think is an avenue for the government to become more dictatorial and it may give powers to the government that enables it to harass its opponents.
