Yesterday, some lawyers criticized the Nigeria Police’s warning about the 2024 slogan ‘No Gree For Anybody,’ cautioning that it could lead to a crisis. The catchphrase, advocating against tolerating nonsense or bullying, has gained popularity, particularly on social media.
Police Spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi expressed concerns, citing intelligence reports suggesting the slogan could potentially cause a significant crisis in the country. Despite being considered ‘normal talk’ by many, the security community perceives it as a ‘dangerous’ slogan for 2024.
Lawyers, on the other hand, held a contrary view to the Police’s stance. Human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, dismissed the warning as laughable, asserting that the Police lacked the authority to prohibit the expression, deeming it non-threatening to law and order.
“I no gree for anybody is an expression of antiquity and the Police cannot stop or criminalise it. When President Bola Tinubu came to Lagos recently, Nigerians expressed their feeling to him that there is hunger in the land. That is a form of ‘I no go gree’. The expression does not in any way constitute a threat to law and order. Nobody can be charged to court for using that expression and, if the Police feel differently, they should refer us to the portion of the law that criminalises such ancient expression.”
Dr. Monday Ubani, a former 2nd Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association, advised that although the Police have the responsibility to maintain peace, it should not serve as a pretext for violating citizens’ rights to freedom of expression.
He said: “The security agencies are there to maintain law and order, so, if the Police say that they have carried out an intel which suggests that the slogan is capable of causing crisis in the country, they have a right to prevent it. In doing that, there must, however, be a balance. If people are expressing themselves without ulterior motives or the expression degenerating into a security threat, it will be wrong to infringe on people’s right to express themselves.
“I think the slogan is just a motivation for people and generates the right spirit in them to do the right thing and stand against any form of intimidation or oppression and also improve their lives. As far as that is the case, it will be wrong for the Police to stop people from expressing themselves. What is important is peace and the Police has the right to ensure peace in the country. If there is no peace in the country, investor cannot come in so we must all ensure that there is peace in the country.”
Evans Ufeli, the Executive Director of Cadrell Advocacy Centre, argued that the Police warning was unwarranted, asserting that the security agency had a clear misunderstanding of the slogan.
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