Osun Sets Up Committee To Stop Fake News, Cyberbullying

The Osun State Government has made an announcement regarding the establishment of a Cyber Crime Action Committee.

Naija News understands that this committee will be responsible for enforcing the relevant laws regarding cyber crimes, cyberbullying, and the dissemination of false news online.

According to a statement from the Commissioner for Information and Public Engagement, Kolapo Alimi, the decision was taken to address the growing problem of fake news within Osun State.

Alimi further explained that this step is necessary to ensure that politics and governance are conducted in an environment of responsibility, decency, and honesty.

This development comes as a response to the ongoing social media disputes between supporters of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). The exchanges often escalate into personal attacks and name-calling between members of the two parties.

Nonetheless, the commissioner asserted that the rising surge of false information has adverse repercussions on both the government and the opposition.

The commissioner highlighted the need for all entities to be subjected to legal boundaries and said the moment has arrived for comprehensive regulation.

He said, “The committee domiciled at the Ministry of Justice has journalists and legal practitioners as members. Its mandate is to ensure that fake news is nipped in the bud, no matter who the perpetrators are.

“The committee is to apply relevant sections of the Cybercrime Act of 2015 as operational clauses to ensure all stakeholders operate within the law in the exercise and enjoyment of their fundamental human rights.

“Section 24 (1) of the Cybercrime Act, 2015 reads: ‘A person who knowingly or intentionally sends a message or other matter by means of computer systems or network that is grossly offensive, pornographic or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character or causes any such message or matter to be sent, or he knows to be false, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety to another or causes such a message to be sent commits an offence under this Act and is liable on conviction to a fine of not more than ₦7,000, 000.00 or imprisonment for a term, not more than three years or both.”

He disclosed that the committee would host its maiden meeting on Monday and affirm Governor Ademola Adeleke‘s commitment to delivering good governance.