Revisiting Defamation: Is It Criminal, Civil, Or Both?

The right to freedom of speech is a fundamental human right of every Nigerian, enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). However, this right has its limitations. Therefore, while you do have the right to "speak your mind" (Soro Soke!) on anything and everything, you must also be careful to speak only facts and not speculations, especially where it affects another person's reputation and integrity and is capable of undermining their estimation in the opinion of right-thinking members of the society

WHAT IS DEFAMATION?

Defamation, one of the limitations to the right of freedom of speech, is the act of making false statements about someone or an organization. Such statements, whether written or verbal, have the effect of exposing the affected person or organization to public hostility and disdain, mockery, loss of business opportunities, and lowered opinions and estimations of the subject in the minds of reasonable people of