Hate speech is at the foundation of viciousness in Nigeria, Aliyu Abdullahi, supporter of the generally discussed National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speech Bill, said on Tuesday.
Mr Abdullahi, who is the vice president whip of the Senate, showed up as a visitor on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily program.
He said all the savagery recorded in the nation are gone before by despise discourse and his bill when gone into law, will address the perils loathe discourse models for the nation.
The Senate reintroduced a bill that looks to punish people saw as blameworthy of despise discourse.
It endorses capital punishment for anybody saw as blameworthy of spreading deception that prompts the passing of someone else.
The bill likewise looks for the foundation of a National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speech to help examine and arraign guilty parties.
A comparative bill was acquainted with the Senate in March 2018 however didn’t endure to third perusing.
The reintroduction of the bill has created contentions among Nigerians.
The bill is as of now on the floor of the National Assembly and has made heaps of responses the nation over, especially capital punishment proviso, which Mr Abdullahi has said will be altered by the Senate.
A previous VP, Atiku Abubakar, had forewarned Nigerian congresspersons against passing the bill.
He said the ability to speak freely and other key components of common freedoms which Nigerians delighted in the middle of 1999 and 2015 ought not be removed by government.
Mr Abdullahi said he was persuaded that the issue of detest discourse is one that Nigeria must handle.
“From what I have studied, both from a lot of scholars that have gone on the subject of violence in the country, there is a conclusion that almost all the violence is preceded by hate speech,he said.
“Yes there may be a crisis between groups, but what will lead to violence is that somebody must have said something that is inciting to violence and that is how people who are innocent will fall victims, losing their lives and livelihood for no just cause because somebody somewhere is irresponsible enough to incite other people to that violence.
“What is the cause of the violence? Hate speech is at the root of it. When we talk about hate speech, the issue of incitement comes in,” Mr Abdullahi said
But Mr Abdullahi advised Nigerians not to panic and detach emotional sentiments from the issue because the bill will reflect the views of Nigerians when it goes through legislative input by the National Assembly.
“Nigerians have agreed that there is a problem of hate speech, so the issue of agreement will come at the end of the day because the engagement process of the bill is still on,” he said.
