{"id":150240,"date":"2025-02-13T15:38:15","date_gmt":"2025-02-13T14:38:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/ondo-state-not-criminalising-free-speech-attorney-general"},"modified":"2025-02-16T00:21:59","modified_gmt":"2025-02-15T23:21:59","slug":"ondo-state-not-criminalising-free-speech-attorney-general","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ondo-state-not-criminalising-free-speech-attorney-general","title":{"rendered":"Ondo State not criminalising free speech \u2013 Attorney General"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Nigeria. <\/strong><\/span>The Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo, has said the state government is not criminalising free speech, contrary to claims by some groups.<\/p>\n

Ajulo gave the clarification in a statement on Thursday in Akure.<\/p>\n

The attorney general was reacting to allegations by some groups that the state government attempted to suppress public opinions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is my responsibility as the attorney general and commissioner for justice to remind and educate the public about the operation of our existing laws.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe merely reiterated the provisions of established legal frameworks designed to protect residents from cyber harassment, blackmail, and malicious misinformation.<\/p>\n

\u201c While free speech is a fundamental right, the right is not absolute as it does not exempt individuals from the consequences of defamation, targeted harassment, or false accusations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 is Nigeria\u2019s primary legislation addressing cyber-related offenses, including cyberbullying, cyberstalking and harassment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Act prohibits various forms of online harassment, intimidation, and the spread of false information, particularly when intended to harm individuals or institutions,\u201d\u2019 he stated.<\/p>\n

Ajulo pointed out that the Cybercrime Act is a Federal law, not a state-specific regulation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not an Ondo state law; it is a national law. My role is to bring it to public attention and ensure its proper understanding.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of my first acts in office was the establishment of the Citizens\u2019 Rights Advisory Bureau (CRAB), and it is also our duty to provide legal guidance when necessary,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

The commissioner stressed that the growing prevalence of cyber bullying, particularly among young people is worrisome.<\/p>\n

He warned that the misuse of digital platforms for malicious attacks would not only damage personal reputations but also threaten governance, business confidence, and societal harmony.<\/p>\n

The attorney general reaffirmed that enforcing the Cybercrime Act is about balancing the right to free speech with the need to prevent defamation, misinformation, and digital harassment.<\/p>\n

\u201cFree speech should be a tool for development, not a weapon for destruction.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa\u2019s insistence was that \u201chis people are free to express their opinions, engage in constructive criticism, and hold leaders accountable.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe free speech must be done within the ambit of the law, ensuring truth, fairness, and responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ajulo reassured the public that the Aiyedatiwa-led administration remained open to dialogue and constructive criticism.<\/p>\n

\u201c Enforcing cybercrime and defamation laws is not about silencing voices but about ensuring that public discourse maintains integrity, respect, and factual accuracy.<\/p>\n

\u201cOndo state is not criminalising free speech but reinforcing the principle that every right comes with responsibility.<\/p>\n

\u201cLaws exist to maintain order, protect citizens, and uphold governance,\u201d Ajulo concluded.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Nigeria<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Nigeria. The Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo, has said the state government is not criminalising free speech, contrary to claims by some groups. Ajulo gave the clarification in a statement on Thursday in Akure. The attorney general was reacting to allegations by some groups that the state […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":150239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,14],"tags":[254,339],"class_list":["post-150240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-nigeria","tag-ondo"],"yoast_head":"\nOndo State not criminalising free speech \u2013 Attorney General - Nigeria<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo, has said the state government is not crim ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ondo-state-not-criminalising-free-speech-attorney-general\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ondo State not criminalising free speech \u2013 Attorney General\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo, has said the state government is not crim ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ondo-state-not-criminalising-free-speech-attorney-general\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nigeria\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-13T14:38:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-02-15T23:21:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/02\/sm_1739448596.221321.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1728\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1152\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ondo-state-not-criminalising-free-speech-attorney-general#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ondo-state-not-criminalising-free-speech-attorney-general\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Ondo State not criminalising free speech \u2013 Attorney General\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-13T14:38:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-15T23:21:59+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ondo-state-not-criminalising-free-speech-attorney-general\"},\"wordCount\":458,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ondo-state-not-criminalising-free-speech-attorney-general#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/02\/sm_1739448596.221321.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Nigeria\",\"Ondo\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ondo-state-not-criminalising-free-speech-attorney-general#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ondo-state-not-criminalising-free-speech-attorney-general\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ondo-state-not-criminalising-free-speech-attorney-general\",\"name\":\"Ondo State not criminalising free speech \u2013 Attorney General - 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