'When you have state police and you have capital punishment for hate speech, you will have tyranny and terror as a state policy' - Senator Shehu Sani

Outspoken Senator Shehu Sani, representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly is drawing attention to the fine line between a hate speech and a free speech saying “we must fight hate speech.”

 

Senator Sani made the distinction in a Facebook post today. This follows as some senators are calling for the death penalty as punishment for anyone convicted of hate speech.

The senator warns against such a move arguing that that is a recipe for “tyranny“. The senator also advised people in authority to be mindful of their actions warning that people in power will one day find themselves out of power.

 

Read the full post:

”Most people in power are intolerant to criticism and allergic to dissent to be trusted with a capital punishment for hate speech.The law against hate speech will be used against free speech.

”Many critics and social media enthusiasts will end up on the gallows. Our condemned cells in the prisons will be filled with bloggers, critics and perceived political opponents.“We must fight Hate speech. Hate speech is a real threat to peace, unity and order of a nation but we must protect free speech. Free speech is the shield of the oppressed.”When you have state police and you have capital punishment for hate speech, you will have tyranny and terror as a state policy. People in power should think twice about what they do with power as someday they will be out of power.”If you are in public office and you don’t want to be criticized or challenged, please dismount and go back to your family where you can be an imperial emperor.”