Netizens on social media platforms have begun to knock popular activist and human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, over his “defamation is not a crime” comment.
Adeyanju’s claim came after the arrest of journalists, whistleblowers, and human rights defenders by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The recent being Adejuwon Soyinka of the Premium Times who was arrested by the Department of State Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Sunday.
According to DSS spokesperson, Peter Ifunnaya, his arrest, was based on a request from another government agency. Although he was released after six hours in detention.
His release followed the intervention of the International Press Institute Nigeria.
As part of his bail conditions, the agency seized his passport and asked him to provide his Nigerian address and reliable phone number through which he can be reached anytime in Nigeria.
However, reacting to what Adeyanju described as the recent abduction of journalists by the DSS, the rights activist wrote on his X handle on Sunday evening, “Defamation is not a Crime. Ignore the Twitter lawyers and the tyrants in power. We must say no to the tyranny of the Tinubu regime.”
In another post, he wrote, “Defamation is not a crime.”
Following the post, netizens have taken to their handles to water down his stance as being unconstitutional while questioning his Law degree from Baze University, Abuja.
One user who tweeted with the handle Timeless Femmy on X sarcastically wrote, “This guy studied law at Ibadan Poly.”
Another user on X.com with a handle, Basit said, “Defamation is a crime in Nigeria. It can be addressed both as a civil wrong (tort) and as a criminal offence under Nigerian law.
“Civil Defamation: Under civil law, a person can sue for damages if they believe they have been defamed. The goal here is typically to seek monetary compensation for harm done to one’s reputation.
“Criminal Defamation: Defamation can also be prosecuted as a crime under the Nigerian Criminal Code (applicable in Southern Nigeria) and the Penal Code (applicable in Northern Nigeria). Criminal defamation is punishable by imprisonment, fines, or both. The laws are designed to protect individuals and entities from false statements that can harm their reputations.
“Both slander (spoken defamation) and libel (written defamation) are considered under these laws.”
“Are you sure you’re a lawyer?” another user with the handle Star Boy queried.
One Alli Olabisi said, “Could this type of statement be the reason why Law has been put on hold at Baze University? Lawyer Deji.”
“‘Bazeless’ University law graduate, we heard you ooh, but would it not have been ideal if you approached the Court and stopped attempting to be an X app lawyer?” Sam Adeyemi opined.
One Lateef Muritala stressed, “Defamation can be a crime in some countries, depending on the specific laws of each jurisdiction. In general, defamation refers to the communication of false statements that damage a person’s, group’s, or entity’s reputation.”
