The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against Nigeria’s government, challenging the 2024 amendment to the Cybercrime Act.Â
The case, presented at the ECOWAS Court, claimed the law criminalizes legitimate expression and threatens the rights of journalists, activists, and social media users.
SERAP argued that provisions in the amended law, including the vague definition of “cyberstalking” and the ambiguous term “causing a breakdown of law and order,” could be misused to suppress free speech.
The organization called for the law to be revised to align with Nigeria’s human rights obligations under international agreements.
This legal action follows a 2022 ECOWAS Court ruling that criticized a similar section of the Cybercrime Act, which was later repealed but remains problematic in its new form.
