Section 306 and 307 of the 1999 Constitution: Resignation of Officials and Limitation of Citizens by Naturalization

The 1999 Constitution Section 306 (1) Save as otherwise provided in this section, any person who is appointed, elected or otherwise selected to any office established by this Constitution may resign from that office by writing under his hand addressed to the authority or person by whom he was appointed, elected or selected. (Except when…

Section 25 and 26 of the 1999 Constitution: Who is a Citizen?

The 1999 Constitution Section 25 (1) The following persons are citizens of Nigeria by birth-namely- (The people mentioned below are citizens of Nigeria by their birth) Section 25 (1) (a) every person born in Nigeria before the date of independence, either of whose parents or any of whose grandparents belongs or belonged to a community…

Section 23 & 24 of the 1999 Constitution: National Ethics & Duties of a Nigerian Citizens

The 1999 Constitution Section 23 The national ethics shall be Discipline, Integrity, Dignity of Labour, Social, Justice, Religious Tolerance, Self-reliance and Patriotism.  (Nigeria as a nation, is to be guided by the following values- Discipline: the value attached to the obeying of rules or a code of behaviour; this value also includes the value of…

Matters Arising – Falana v. Meta: What the Lagos State High Court Really Said About Privacy and Social Media

Introduction Social media has become part of everyday life. News, gossip, opinions, and sometimes outright falsehoods now travel faster online than they ever did offline. While these platforms make communication easier, they also raise an important question: who is responsible when harmful or false information is spread online?  This question was recently addressed by the…

Matters Arising: The Court of Appeal’s Decision Concerning Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO)

A Legal analysis of the Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023 – Abubakar Marshal v. Directorate of Road Traffic Services & Ors and its affirmation on appeal Introduction The relationship between Nigerian motorists and traffic enforcement agencies has long been uneasy, often marked by uncertainty about the scope of official powers and the rights of road users. Among…

Freedom of Speech Vs. Defamation: Where is the Line Drawn?

Introduction The emergence and proliferation of social media has given a lot of persons from different demographic a platform to express an unfettered right to expression which may or may not lead to defamation. People are able to share their opinions which may be based on unconfirmed information and by doing so, spread possibly untrue…