Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force, has asserted that raining curses or making abusive remarks at individuals on social media constitutes cyberbullying, a criminal offense punishable by law.
TheNewsGuru.com(TNG) reports that Adejobi made this known in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday where he stressed that while freedom of expression allows people to voice opinions, it does not permit online abuse or harassment.
“Raining direct curses on someone online is cyberbullying, not an expression of freedom or criticism,” he stated. “And cyberbullying, which is even different from defamation, is a criminal offense and punishable. Be guided.”
The force spokeman’s statement sparked a debate on the platform, with some users questioning the legitimacy of such a law.
Felix Abayomi, posting under the handle #felabayomi, asked, “When does raining curses become a crime? I look forward to the day someone will challenge these laws.”
Another user, #kingkhone4real, sarcastically remarked, “If that were the case, then all Nigerians should have been in prison by now.”
@geoffreydpr wrote: “Nigeria go and study the constitution let nobody tell you what is not true , study the constitution so you can protect your self.”
However, not all users opposed Adejobi’s stance. #omoopee_ supported the call for responsible online behavior, saying, “You are absolutely right, sir. Raining curses and engaging in cyberbullying is not freedom of expression but an act of harm. We must all learn to express ourselves responsibly.”