‘Hate speech’ is Executive propaganda – Lawyer tells Kanu

An Nnewi, Anabra State-based legal practitioner, Mr Kevin Abonyi, has described the issue of hate speech as an Executive propaganda.

Abonyi is of Oseloka Osigwe Chambers in Nnewi.

The lawyer submitted that in as much as he did not encourage Nigerians to get involved in hate speeches, there was nowhere under the Terrorism Prevention Act of 2011 that hate speech was mentioned as it was expressly defined what terrorism is in the Act.

To this end, the lawyer argued that one could not be arrested and prosecuted on a law that was non-existent.

According to Ericgossip.com, He said that the Executive arm coined ‘hate speech’ to suit the prevailing circumstances in Nigeria “not that it expressly has a legal backing.”

Relating this to the recent purported move by the Federal Government to rearrest the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi  Nnamdi Kanu for violating his bail conditions, Abonyi said that re-arresting Kanu  would amount to infringement upon his fundamental rights as he has not contravened any known law.

He wondered why the IPOB leader should be restricted from going to a market, church, attending his village or club meetings and other public functions which the bail conditions suggested.

He, however, advised Kanu not to over-heat the polity by his activities since some criminal elements could highjack the situation to cause trouble.

The lawyer explained that what Kanu should have done when the stringent bail conditions were handed down to him was to challenge them in court. He said since he did not do that it would be a belated adventure to do so now.

“While he has the right of appeal, this he never did. Coming to the same court now to vary his bail conditions is an after thought. His team of lawyers should do the needful,” Abonyi argued.