Editors Condemn VeryDarkMan’s Detention, Say Buhari’s Decree 2 Is Back

The Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE has bemoaned the detention of social media activist VeryDarkMan using the instrumentality of the Cybercrime Act which it said Monday has been outlawed by the ECOWAS Court.

NGE president Eze Anaba speaking in an interview described the Cybercrime Act as a rebirth of the infamous Decree 2 of 1984 used by the Muhammadu Buhari military administration to hound critics into indefinite detention.

Anaba spoke in an interview on AIT’s Kaakaki programme on Monday monitored by GWG.ng during which he narrated the ambiguity of using the Cybercrime Act to put VeryDarkMan into custody.

“The cybercrime act has been turned into a gag tool (and) it is being used to detain media practitioners and civil rights activists,” Mr Anaba who is also editor of Vanguard, one of Nigeria’s leading newspapers with a focus on better life for the people.

Noting that the act had itself been outlawed by the ECOWAS Court on account of its conflict with the Nigerian Constitution, he said:

“In 2022 the ECOWAS act outlawed the section which security forces are now using to detain people illegally. Section 24 of the cyber act criminalises cyber stalking insults and that section was the provision that the ECOWAS act outlawed.

“The court enjoined the government to amend that section to conform with free expression in Nigeria.

“Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution as amended enjoins media practitioners to hold government to account. Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution says people have freedom of speech (and) though it is not absolute it doesn’t meant that it should be criminalized.”

Noting the illegality in the arrest of VeryDarkMan, he said that using the same provision of the Cybercrime Act that was outlawed by the ECOWAS Court was illogical and tended to position Nigeria as a lawless country.

“Except we are saying that we no longer believe in the rule of law because this cybercrime tool erodes our democracy and it is like a reincarnation of Decree 2 of 1984 which was used by the military to detain people illegally.”

Anaba, however, opined that the NGE has constituted a six-man committee chaired by respected journalist and lawyer, Richard Akinola to identify the issues in the brutalization of freedom of expression using archaic laws.

“It is a very dangerous and ignorant move that is undermining our democracy. Call me back on Monday and you will discover that they would have released him without prosecuting and you will see that they would have detained him for two or three days for no reason.”

Expressing concern that the detention of VeryDarkMan was a negative score for Nigeria in the comity of nations, Anaba predicted that the social critic would sooner than later released without any charge.

“This thing has now gained international attention and this thing is embarrassing. You will get to an airport and they will say you are from a very bush country where people are not allowed to express their opinion.”

Mr Anaba’s delivery is in the tradition of the Nigerian media championing the interest of the downtrodden and holding governments to account for their actions.

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