The Osun State Government has initiated the formation of a Cybercrime Action Committee in response to the growing concerns over fake news and cyberbullying within the state.
In a statement released on March 24 by Kolapo Alimi, the Commissioner for Information and Public Engagement, it was announced that the Committee’s objective is to implement and enforce laws pertaining to cybercrime, cyberbullying, and the dissemination of false information.
This move is particularly timely given the increasing hostility observed on social media platforms between followers of the state’s dominant political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), which frequently escalates into personal attacks and contributes to a negative online climate.
Alimi highlighted the detrimental impact of fake news on both governmental and opposition entities, stressing that measures will be taken to ensure accountability for online content across all parties, within a legal context.
Housed within the Ministry of Justice, the Committee will include members from the journalism and legal sectors. It is tasked with identifying and combating instances of misinformation online, without bias towards any party.
The Committee’s efforts will be guided by the Cybercrime Act of 2015, which outlaws the online dissemination of harmful, false, or deceptive information, with penalties for violators including fines or imprisonment.