In the last three years, leaked sex tapes and nudes of top profile personalities in the Nigeria entertainment sector have come into vogue. It’s a craze that everybody seems to be jumping (though there are some who would argue they fell into it) on for different reasons.
From Salawa Abeni, Small Doctor, Tiwa Savage, Tonto Dikeh, Cross, Janemena just to name a few, everybody seems to have caught the virus. Latest debutante being, popular music artist – Oxlade.
24-year-old, Ikuforiji Olaitan popularly known by his stage name – Oxlade is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. The talented artist is signed to The Plug Entertainment, Substrate music, and Knostra Music.
Social media was thrown into a frenzy, more than the usual when a video of the music star emerged on the net yesterday. The video is one that has generated diverse response from different clusters. From excitement to praises, criticism, body shaming, memes, gender war amongst others.
The singer is yet to make any comment with regards the video or the circumstances behind its release.
While it would seem like leaked videos and nudes is a fashion that has finally caught up with this part of the world, here are some very important facts everybody should be reminded of.
LEGALLY SPEAKING
The publication or distribution of one or more sexually explicit photos or videos of someone else, without the subject’s permission in whatever guise or reason is illegal.
Primarily, every citizen of Nigeria by virtue of Section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) is guaranteed a right to private life and family – a right that is awfully breached by sex tape publication.
Section 24 Cybercrimes Act of Nigeria 2015 provides:
“(a) any person who knowingly or intentionally sends a message or other matter by means of computer systems or network that is grossly offensive, pornographic or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character or causes any such message or matter to be so sent; or
(b) he knows to be false for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety to another or causes a message to be sent: commits an offence under this act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of not more than N7,000,000.00 or imprisonment for a term of not more than 3 years or to both such fine and imprisonment.”
Also, Section 170 of the Criminal Code provides:
“Any person who knowingly sends, or attempts to send, by post anything which;
(a) encloses anything, whether living or inanimate, of such a nature as to be likely to injure any other thing in the course of conveyance, or to injure any person; or
(b) encloses an indecent or obscure print, painting, photograph, lithograph, engraving, book, card, or article, or which has on it, or in it, or on its cover, any indecent, obscene, or grossly offensive words, marks, or designs; is guilty of a misdemeanour and is liable to imprisonment for one year.”
At this point it is necessary to note that unwittingly, reproducers in form of bloggers, Instagram news outlets and other online content providers many become liable as accessories after the fact as they publish these images and videos.
In concluding, while it would seem like this is a rave that has come to stay, it is pertinent to state that, morally this new trend is worrisome and reprehensible but most importantly too, it is illegal and punishable by law.