Why we increased hate speech fine to N5m —Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said on Friday the Federal Government increased the fine for hate speech to deter people who willingly violate the provision in the broadcasting code to destabilise the country.

The federal government had earlier in the week increased the fine for hate speech from N500, 000 to N5million and made several amendments to the broadcasting code.

Mohammed stated this when he featured on a TVC live Programme, “This Morning,” in Abuja.

He said: “What motivated the amendment was that when the fine was N500,000 we saw the provision being violated at will because the amount was very easy to pay.”

The minister said those attacking the government over the increase, must remember that hate speech had destroyed several countries across the world.

He recalled that 800, 000 people died in Rwanda due to hate speech while Bosnia and Cambodia equally lost thousands of lives to the menace.

READ ALSO: Nigerian govt amends broadcasting code, raises hate speech fine to N5m

Mohammed said Nigeria was not the only country to impose sanction on hate speech, adding that some nations have more stringent provisions.

The minister added: “Chad has today slow down the speed of its internet service to slow down the growth of hate speech.

“Iceland has a provision in its penal code against hate speech and the punishment is up to five years in jail.

“The sanction in Norway is up to two years imprisonment while South Africa separated hate speech from the protection their citizens can get from the constitution.”

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