Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 — Key Provisions, Effects, Full Background

01 Background

The 2024 amendment was forced by an ECOWAS Court of Justice ruling that the 2015 Cybercrimes Act's Section 24 (criminalising 'false information' online with up to 3 years imprisonment) was a violation of free expression. The amendment narrowed Section 24 to specific harm-causing speech (defamation, incitement to violence) rather than broad 'false information', and tightened arrest procedures to prevent the prior pattern of pre-dawn raids on journalists and bloggers.

02 Key provisions · 5

§ 01

Section 24 'false information' offence narrowed — must cause specific harm

§ 02

Arrest procedures require warrant + reasonable cause

§ 03

Press card holders entitled to additional procedural safeguards

§ 04

Sentencing alternatives (community service, fines) for first offenders

§ 05

Mandatory annual report on cybercrime prosecutions

03 What changed in practice

→

Several journalists released from pending prosecution after amendment

→

CSO advocacy (PRAWA, MRA) credited with bringing about the amendment

→

Police pre-dawn raids on bloggers significantly reduced 2024-2025

04 Who it affects

JournalistsBloggersSocial media usersCivil society

Official source

Federal Ministry of Justice

Primary regulator / sponsoring institution ↗

Use this law on the site

Civic infrastructure

Cross-linked tool that operationalises this Act