The bill named the Counter
Subversion Bill 2024, aims to impose stringent penalties on Nigerians for
various reasons.
According to the proposed
legislation, anyone found guilty of refusing to recite the national anthem
shall be fined N5 million, face a 10-year prison sentence, or both.
Anyone who destroys a national
symbol or a place of worship shall be liable to the same punishment.
The Bill, sponsored by Speaker
Tajudeen Abbas, is set for its second reading, where its general principles
will be debated.
The Bill “stipulates that
anyone found guilty of destroying national symbols, refusing to recite the
national anthem and pledge, defacing a place of worship with intent to incite
violence, or undermining the Federal Government shall face a fine of N5
million, a 10-year prison sentence, or both”.
The Bill also “states that
anyone who sets up an illegal roadblock, performs unauthorised traffic duties,
imposes an illegal curfew, or organises an unlawful procession will be subject
to a fine of N2 million, five years in prison, or both upon conviction”.
Also, any person who
“forcefully takes over any place of worship, town hall, school, premises,
public or private place, arena, or a similar place through duress, undue
influence, subterfuge or other similar activities, commits an offence and is
liable on conviction to a fine of N5 million or imprisonment for a term of 10
years or both”.
“A person who professes
loyalty, pledges or agrees to belong to an organisation that disregards the
sovereignty of Nigeria, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a
fine of N3 million or imprisonment for a term of four years or both,” it also
added among others.
In May, President Bola Tinubu
signed into law the bill to revert to Nigeria’s old national anthem which was
dropped by a military government in 1978.
The newly re-adopted anthem,
which begins "Nigeria, We Hail Thee," was written by Lillian Jean
Williams in 1959 and composed by Frances Berda.
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