Human Rights

CCT Chairman, Umar’s ‘Biafran Boys’ Comment Xenophobic, Liable to Five-Year Imprisonment – Falana

By Obiajulu Joel Nwolu

April 04, 2021

Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, has described the Code of Conduct, CCT, Chairman, Danladi Umar’s use of “Biafran boys” to classify the traders he had a fracas with at Banex Plaza in Abuja where he assaulted a security guard as xenophobic and liable to five-year sentence.

The CCT chairman was caught in a viral video punching a security guard following a disagreement at the parking lot of the plaza.

In its reaction, Ibraheem Al-Hassan, the CCT Spokesperson, said in a statement that the guard threatened Umar, while some “Biafran boys” also harassed him.

Hassan in a follow-up statement said he was instructed by Umar to use “Biafran boys” in the statement.

Reacting to the development, Falana in a statement issued on Saturday said the phrase amounted to xenophobia which contravened the cybercrime law.

according to Falana, section 26 of the Cybercrimes Act 2015, prohibits the use of “racist or xenophobic material” in any written or printed material.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria added that such a person was liable to be prosecuted for the serious offence and penalty for the offence is five year’s imprisonment and a minimum N10 million fine.”

The statement read, “The use of the words “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. “The Act 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 a 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 year’s imprisonment and a minimum N10 million fine.”