Amid mounting concerns over the stifling of freedom of expression through widespread journalist arrests and surveillance of social media, the Accountability Lab, a prominent civil society organization, has called upon Nigeria’s judiciary to rigorously uphold citizens’ fundamental rights.
The organisation highlighted alarming trends where security agencies and figures in positions of authority have increasingly targeted journalists and individuals under the pretext of cybercrime and cyberbullying laws. This crackdown, according to Accountability Lab, undermines Nigeria’s stature both regionally and globally.
Addressing a roundtable discussion organised in partnership with the National Endowment for Democracy and Luminate
in Abuja, Accountability Lab’s County Director, Friday Odeh, emphasised the critical role of judicial oversight in curbing excessive surveillance practices that encroach upon freedom of expression and press freedoms.
Furthermore in a jointly authored policy brief titled “Enhancing Accountability in Surveillance Practices: a call for judicial and public oversight in Nigeria,” Odeh and Kasim Sodengi underscored Nigeria’s substantial investment in surveillance technologies. The brief revealed that Nigeria emerged as Africa’s largest purchaser of surveillance technology contracts, having allocated a staggering $2.7 billion from 2013 to 2022.
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“This significant investment, averaging $12 per Nigerian citizen, signifies Nigeria’s deep integration of advanced monitoring technologies,” the brief stated. It highlighted technologies such as internet and mobile interception, social media monitoring, biometric ID data, and ‘safe city’ initiatives monitoring citizens in public spaces.
They also stressed that while such investments bolster domestic security, they also pose profound questions regarding privacy, civil liberties, and the potential for misuse.
Speaking to journalists at the sideline of the event, Odeh advocated for the establishment of specialized judicial oversight bodies to review and authorize surveillance requests. He emphasized the importance of independent judges well-versed in constitutional law and human rights to ensure impartial evaluations.
“Defining strict criteria and legal thresholds tied to constitutional principles and international human rights standards is imperative,” Odeh added. Such measures, he argued, would promote transparency and accountability in the deployment of surveillance technologies while safeguarding citizens’ rights.
He also reaffirmed the necessity of robust judicial oversight and stringent criteria as foundational pillars to enhance accountability in Nigeria’s surveillance practices.
