Tinubu's Cybercrime Law Faces Backlash Over Section 24

In February 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed amendments to the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, which included revisions to Section 24 that criminalizes certain online comments. Critical stakeholders in Nigeria have called for the repeal of Section 24, labeling it as "contentious." Despite the amendments, several individuals, particularly journalists, have faced controversial arrests and prosecutions under the Act.

Reports indicate that at least six journalists were detained within six months following the amendment. Since the Act's enactment in 2015, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported that 25 journalists have faced prosecution under the Cybercrimes Act up to 2024.

Civil society groups, including Media Rights Agenda and Paradigm Initiative, have challenged Section 24 in court for violating constitutional freedoms, but their suit was struck out. The ECOWAS Court ruled on 25 March 2022, ordering Nigerian authorities to cease using Section 24 to prosecute individuals for online insults or stalking of public officials, declaring it "arbitrary, vague and repressive.".