Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Osun State Government has disclosed that it has set uup a Cyber Crime Action Committee to give effect to relevant provisions to the laws on cyber crimes, cyber bullying and deliberate online false news.
A statement issued on Sunday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Engagement, Kolapo Alimi, said the move was meant to tackle the menace of fake news in Osun State.
“The step became necessary to sanitise the governance space and ensure that politicking and governance take place under an atmosphere of responsibility, decency and honesty,” he said.
The development comes on the heels of DSS’ invitation to Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson of Governor Ademola Adeleke, for allegedly sponsoring fake news against Femi Oyetola, the son of Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and immediate past governor of the state, Adegboyega Oyetola.
The commissioner, however, posited that the increasing wave of fake news negatively affects both the government and opposition, stressing that the time has come that all operators be brought within the compass of the law.
“The committee domiciled at the Ministry of Justice has as members journalists and legal practitioners. The mandate is to ensure that fake news are nipped in the bud, no matter who the perpetrators are.
“The committee is to apply relevant sections of the Cybercrime Act of 2015 as operational clauses to ensure all stakeholders operate within the law in the exercise and enjoyment of their fundamental human rights.
“Section 24 (1) of the Cybercrime Act, 2015 reads: ‘A person who knowingly or intentionally sends a message or other matter by means of computer systems or network that is grossly offensive, pornographic or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character or causes any such message or matter to be sent, or he knows to be false, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety to another or causes such a message to be sent, commits an offence under this Act and is liable on conviction to a fine of not more than N7,000,000.00 or imprisonment for a term, not more than three years or both,” he said.
Alimi added that the committee would host its maiden meeting on Monday while affirming the commitment of Adeleke to the delivery of good governance.
