The European Court of Human Rights defines hate speech as “all forms of expressions which spread, incite, promote or justify racial hatred, xenophobia, anti-Semitism or other forms of hatred based on intolerance, including intolerance expressed by aggressive nationalism and ethnocentrism, discrimination and hostility towards minorities, migrants and people of immigrant origin.” On its part, the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa defines it as “material which, judged within context sanctions, promotes or glamorizes violence based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or mental or physical disability” or “propaganda for war, incitement of imminent violence, or advocacy of hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion and that constitutes incitement to cause harm.”
Several features and clauses in the two definitions above speak to the dangerous phenomenon of hate speech in Nigeria. It has so polluted the country’s traditional and new media to the point that it is preventing sane and moderate voices from being heard. Those who survived the Nigerian Civil War have warned that there is an overflow of agitations and the enthusiasm for violence similar to what obtained in 1966, leading to the outbreak of war. The social media, especially, is the space where regional, political and religious hatred is being traded. But the trend has sneaked into the traditional media where interviews with bigots are published generously; columnists break the borders of fair comment to propagate ethnic agenda; and news stories of the exploits of secessionist ideologues are published in praise-singing tones.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo rose to condemn it last week, warning that hate speech is infectious and could metamorphose to violence and bloodbath. Saying the country has to act to halt the spread of this social virus, Osinbajo said the divisive narratives in hate speeches are based on falsehood. Speaking at a national security seminar organized by the Department of State Security [DSS] last Wednesday, the Acting President said, “Today, with the various political agitations, the multiplicity of calls for regional autonomy, calls for restructuring of the federation or outright secession from the country have given birth to emergency nationalist agitators. What is definitely wrong is that these individuals and interest groups hide under the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech and association to threaten fire and brimstone. All Nigerians should love their country… We must control and insist that people don’t make utterances that are capable of disrupting the peace.”
At the rate at which hate speech is spreading across the country, Nigeria’s unity and stability is being endangered. Patriotism, which is inculcated at all levels of the educational system, is being replaced by sectarianism. Without a united Nigeria, there can be no meaningful development; we cannot attract foreign investment; the future of upcoming generations would be compromised; and personal ambitions cannot be realized. Incidentally, all these are staring us in the face as a result of the negative and dangerous words some speak about the country and against each other.
The relevant government agencies in charge of the country’s cyberspace should work with the National Assembly to find a legal means of halting the venom being injected into our social fabric in the name of freedom of speech and expression. At the moment, Facebook and YouTube are engaged in efforts to identify and prevent hate speech and fake news contents from being shared on their platforms. But we must not wait for the owners of these platforms to put in place their own measures before our agencies act as hate speech in Nigeria has reached crisis point.
On their part, law enforcement agencies such as Police, DSS, EFCC and others should rise to the occasion by arresting, investigating and prosecuting those who spread treasonable ideas, cause ethnic divisions, call for violence and raise unfounded alarms. The 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression to all Nigerians, does not condone treason and treasonable acts in whatever guise. A situation in which Nigerians use the media, both traditional and social, to advocate treason and are left to carry on without being arrested and questioned by constituted authorities embolden others to act in the same manner. Again, when threats to take action against those who openly violate the law are not carried out, others are encouraged to dare the law.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) should devise a means of countering the falsehood being peddled by hate speech mongers and devise programmes geared towards fostering unity and peace. At present there is little deliberate effort to imbue Nigerians with a deep sense of patriotism off the football pitch. This has given enough space for ethnic agitators to project themselves as the heroes of constituent parts of the country instead of national icons. It is in this context that hate speech has continued to flourish.
It is time for political leaders at all levels to walk the talk of good governance. We cannot shy away from the fact that where there is poverty, unemployment and attendant frustration, the people cannot be loyal to constituted authorities. Political leadership in this country is tainted with so much corruption that those being led have lost confidence in the system. Former governors, lawmakers, ministers and top civil servants are constantly being arraigned over allegations of corruption. The funds misappropriated should have been used to provide essential infrastructure to boost standard of living and economic well-being of the people. Contrary to this expectation, funds are stolen, hidden in foreign bank accounts or used to acquire assets which combine to boost their greed. To a great extent, if the country’s commonwealth is channeled into good governance, hate speech will definitely reduce as the ordinary man would be proud that he belongs in this part of the world.
We challenge traditional rulers, community leaders, religious clerics, scholars, publishers, communication experts, governments and their agencies to tackle this divisive phenomenon as urgently as possible. The nation should be rescued from the impending disaster that is hate speech.
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