Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has disclosed that he is currently leading a team of lawyers on campaign for decriminalization of freedom of expression in West Africa countries.
Falana gave the hint while reacting to the allegation of defamation of character on his son, Folarin (Falz) by a popular social media influencer, Martins Vincent Otse popularly known as Very Darkman (VDM).
The whole hullabaloo between the two parties is over Idris Okuneye’s (Bobrisky) prison bribery allegation saga.
The human rights lawyer disclosed that the campaign for decriminalization of freedom of expression is to ensure that respect for freedom of expression is not taking as a license for defaming or blackmailing people.
He also said that the campaign is being coordinated by the Media Foundation for West Africa.
According to him, “I am leading a team of lawyers in West Africa to campaign for decriminalization of freedom of expression.
“This campaign is being coordinated by the Media Foundation for West Africa of which I’m a member of the board. We have succeeded in getting Liberia, Ghana and Serria Leone to decriminalize freedom of expression.
Falana urged other West Africa countries to follow the trend to guarantee respect for freedom of expression.
“We are still appealing to other countries in the region to ensure that we respect freedom of expression but that is not a license for defaming people, for blackmailing people.
“And what we are saying if you are defamed, in the words of the late Justice Justice Olatawura in the case of Nwankwo and the State, “if you are defamed by anybody, please go out there and sue for libel where you would put your own character in history,” Falana said.
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