The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has taken on the Nigeria Police Force over its arrest of Mr. Chude Franklin Nnamdi for cyberstalking, saying the charge against him is unlawful.
The Nigerian Police on Wednesday officially announced the arrest of Chude days after reports of his arrest flooded social media.
Nnamdi, a follower of the Labour Party, got detained on Saturday after posting a tweet criticizing Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo.
In his tweet, the social media influencer claimed that Soludo’s political party, APGA, was engaged in manipulating the House of Assembly elections.
In a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said Chude was arrested following a complaint it received about his activities on social media, which contravenes the provision of Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and other criminal laws.
Olumuyiwa said he is being investigated by the Nigeria Police Force National Cyber Crime Centre in Abuja, with the case forwarded to the Force Legal Department for further action as a prima facie case has been established against him.
But SERAP objected that Chude’s arrest was unlawful, saying the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court invalidated the law he was being charged under.
Calling out the police in a tweet, SERAP said, “The ECOWAS Court has ruled [in the suit brought by SERAP] that Section 24 of Nigeria’s Cybercrime Act is vague, arbitrary, and unlawful.
It added, “it is contrary to the rule of law for the police to charge anyone with supposed ‘cyberstalking’ Section 24 is invalid.”
