By Kelvin Adegbenga
Free speech is a cornerstone of democracy and is rightly guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution. It provides every citizen the right to express their opinions, criticise government policies, and hold public officials accountable.
However, this right is not absolute. It comes with responsibilities, boundaries, and legal limitations.
Unfortunately, many young Nigerians, including some Gen Z lawyers who should know better, have begun to interpret free speech as a licence to insult, blackmail, spread falsehoods, and defame others.
This is not only tragic but also a dangerous path that undermines the dignity of the legal profession.
It is deeply worrying to see supposed custodians of the law endorsing behaviours that the law itself clearly prohibits.
For instance, a presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) cannot take to social media to call the President of Nigeria a “criminal” without a valid court judgment declaring him as such.
No Nigerian court has ever declared the President a criminal, and until such a pronouncement is made, such statements are not free speech—they are defamation.
Similarly, no court of law has ruled that the Inspector-General of Police is “illegal.” Yet, we see Omoyele Sowore and his supporters freely referring to the nation’s top law enforcement officer as an “illegal IGP.”
This is not political commentary; it is outright falsehood. Even more disturbing is the reckless claim that a respected, married woman is the mistress of the IGP.
That is defamation of the highest order, an attack not just on the IGP’s integrity but also on the dignity of the woman involved and her family.
It does not stop there. To tell a sitting Governor of a state that he is “senseless” is not protected by free speech either. It is an insult, an abuse, and a violation of the law.
Nigeria is not a lawless society. We are a nation governed by laws, and those laws place clear limits on what speech is permissible and what crosses into defamation, incitement, or blackmail.
When lawyers, who should be the guardians of justice, begin to defend these shameful acts as “free speech,” it raises serious questions about the future of our profession.
The legal profession thrives on dignity, respect for the rule of law, and the pursuit of justice. To see young lawyers twist constitutional provisions to justify character assassination is both shameful and alarming.
Free speech is about speaking truth to power, criticising policies, and debating national issues in good faith. It is not about blackmailing individuals, spreading false news, or tarnishing the reputations of leaders and private citizens.
I therefore call on lawyers in Nigeria, especially the younger generation, to uphold the sanctity of the law. Our role is not to support or excuse defamation, blackmail, and fake news under the guise of free speech.
Instead, we must be the voices of reason, the defenders of justice, and the protectors of truth. The dignity of our noble profession, and indeed, the stability of our democracy, depends on it.
Kelvin Adegbenga writes from Ikeja, Lagos. Email: kelvinadegbega@yahoo.com @kelvinadegbega
