'Nigeria deserves hate speech bill,' Senator insists

Senator Abdullahi says if the Hate Speech bill and similar legislations are not in place, Nigeria risks becoming the next Rwanda.

Senator Sabi Abdullahi says there is no better time to have an anti-hate speech bill in Nigeria than now.

Reacting to rumours that the Hate Speech bill has been set aside due to the controversy it generated late 2019, Abdullahi, who sponsored the bill, disclosed that it is still alive.

The Niger State lawmaker expressed optimism that the bill will gain more support in days to come.

He noted that the death sentence penalty would be relaxed.

"Because the baby is dirty, we can’t say the baby should be thrown away with the bathwater," Abdullahi told journalists at the Villa on Tuesday, January 28, 2020.

“The death penalty was the main issue. I will ensure that the death penalty is put away from the bill.

“But Nigeria deserves to have a hate speech bill. There is so much hate speech in Nigeria. “

Abdullahi expressed fears that if there is no law to regulate hate speech, Nigeria runs the risk of becoming the next Rwanda.

 The lawmaker who lamented the inciting speeches being made in Nigeria, added that they are capable of igniting religious, ethnic or communal crises.

"About 80-90 per cent of crises were incited through hate speech, be they religious, ethnic or communal crises," he said.

The bill passed first reading on the floor of the senate on November 12, 2019 amid criticisms.