Osun State Government has announced the formation of a Cyber Crime Action Committee to enforce laws regarding cyber crimes, cyber bullying, and intentional false news online.
A spokesperson named Kolapo Alimi stated on Sunday that the government's goal is to combat the spread of fake news in Osun State.
Alimi clarified that the action was necessary to clean up the governance environment and ensure that politics and governance occur in a responsible, decent, and honest atmosphere.
This action follows conflicts on social media between supporters of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress regarding governance in the state.
These conflicts often result in members of the two parties engaging in name-calling.
The commissioner noted that the increasing dissemination of false news has negative effects on both the government and the opposition, and emphasized the need for all parties to operate within the confines of the law.
He stated, “The committee, located within the Ministry of Justice, includes journalists and legal practitioners as members. Its mandate is to prevent the spread of fake news, regardless of the perpetrators.
“The committee is to utilize relevant sections of the Cybercrime Act of 2015 to ensure that all stakeholders abide by the law while exercising their fundamental human rights.
“Section 24 (1) of the Cybercrime Act, 2015 states: ‘A person who knowingly or intentionally sends a message or other matter via computer systems or network that is highly offensive, pornographic, or of an indecent, obscene, or threatening nature, or causes any such message or matter to be sent, or he knows to be false, with the intent of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will, or needless anxiety to another, commits an offense under this Act and is subject to a fine of no more than N7,000,000.00 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or both.”
He revealed that the committee will hold its first meeting on Monday and affirmed Governor Ademola Adeleke's dedication to delivering good governance.
