Is Online Cursing a Crime? Legal Expert Challenges Police PRO’s Stance
In a recent exchange, Nigerian Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi stated that “raining direct curses on someone online is cyberbullying, not expression of freedom or criticism.
And cyberbullying, which is even different from defamation, is a criminal offence and punishable.”
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong responded critically to Adejobi’s statement, describing it as “ignorance of the law raised to power 1000.”
Effiong argued that cursing someone online does not constitute a criminal offense under Nigerian law, emphasizing that for an act to be deemed a crime, it must be explicitly defined as such in written law.
He further pointed out that curses are based on superstition and do not have legal value.
This exchange highlights differing interpretations of cyberbullying and freedom of expression within Nigerian legal discourse.
