By Okoi Obono-Obla
Some young people have resorted to the excessive abuse of social media. They go online to make videos or write arrant nonsense, raining insults, abuses, bullying and stalking people. Some of them are even paid to malign and defame others.
For instance, one Micah Matthew brazenly called a senatorial candidate a thief, a criminal and a fraudulent person without a scintilla or iota of evidence.
Similarly, another social media goon falsely alleged that I masterminded the removal from office of a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, a former Head of Service of the Federation, and another person whose appointment by the Federal Government was later cancelled. All of these persons are from Cross River State. The publication was wickedly and maliciously calculated to expose me to public odium, ridicule, scandal and opprobrium.
Imagine yet another of such social media goons alleging that the Chief Executive of a State and his appointee are exchanging nude pictures of themselves, and his supporters arguing that he is promoting good governance and should be allowed free rein to write his fantasies.
When persons whose character and reputation have been destroyed by such despicable and salacious defamation take legitimate steps to protect themselves, the perpetrators and their supporters resort to emotional blackmail. They argue that a leader should not go after his followers, or that they enjoy absolute freedom of speech to defame people.
Such arguments are logically fallacious. They are a classic non sequitur — it does not follow. Freedom of speech is not a licence to defame, peddle perversion, or publish falsehood. No law guarantees an absolute right to destroy another person’s reputation.
When I lodged a complaint to the Police inviting one of such persons to come and establish his grave allegations, all hell broke loose. He has been calling everybody in Nigeria to intervene and prevail on me to drop the complaint.
Why do some of us behave like animals? Defamation is not activism, insults are not criticism, and pornographic fantasy is not good governance.
