Chairman of the Code of Conduct tribunal Danladi Umar risks five-year jail term over ‘Biafra boys’ comment Falani declared
GoldenNewsNg gathered that the Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), says the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, risks five years in prison over his comment on ‘Biafra boys’.
Falana said this in a statement on Saturday.
The CCT chairman was last Monday caught on video allegedly assaulting a security guard at Banex Plaza, Abuja.
In a statement issued by the CCT, it was claimed that the chairman was the one that was attacked by some ‘Biafra boys’ at Banex.
The comment sparked an outrage on social media with many describing the statement as being laced with bigotry.
Reacting in a statement, Falana said the use of the word was in contravention of Section 26 of the Cybercrimes Act 2015.
It read in part, “The use of the word ‘Biafra boys’ in the statement (produced through a computer system or network) on the instructions of the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and distributed to the media last week constitutes a contravention of Section 26 of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 which prohibits the use of racist or xenophobic material in any written or printed material which advocates, promotes or incites hatred, discrimination or violence, against any individual group of individuals, based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin, as well as religion if used as a pretext for any of these factors.
“The person alleged to have suggested the use of the xenophobic words is liable to be prosecuted for the serious offence. The penalty for the offence is five years’ imprisonment and/or a minimum N10m fine.”
