The recent warning by the Nigerian police against the use of the ‘no gree for anybody‘ slogan is a threat to citizens’ right to freedom of expression and stands condemned.

Development Diaries reports that the police spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, during a recent press conference, warned against the use of the expression, which was coined by young Nigerians as the 2024 slogan, saying it could lead to a revolution.

The slogan, which simply means ‘do not tolerate any form of nonsense from anybody’ or ‘do not allow yourself to be bullied by anyone’, recently gained popularity among Nigerians, especially on social media.

‘No dey gree for anybody’ is being seen as just normal talk, but in the security community, we have seen it as a very dangerous slogan that can trigger a crisis’, Adejobi said.

It is, however, important to state that the police have no legal powers to criminalise an expression as long as it does not constitute a threat to law and order.

Section 39 of the 1999 constitution provides that every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.

Also, the police warning is a threat to citizens’ active participation in governance because it could further reduce the public’s trust in the police, and this might lead to their inability to support the police in combating crime.

To this end, Development Diaries calls on the Nigerian police to respect the freedom of expression as guaranteed in the constitution and allow citizens to use harmless expressions as they deem fit.

Photo source: Arise News