IKE, NNEOMA FAVOUR (2026) AN EXAMINATION OF THE NATURE, SCOPE,AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF ONLINE DEFAMATION IN NIGERIA. Other thesis, Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu.
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Abstract
With the rapid growth of internet access and social media use in Nigeria, there has come with it a growing wave of online defamation. This is the dissemination of untrue and harmful statements through digital media that is immediate, permanent and global in reach. Defamation in its traditional form was limited by geography and medium. Defamatory material published on the internet can be permanently archived and cached, can be widely republished, and is often published anonymously and from foreign jurisdictions, making accountability difficult. The study examines the nature, scope and the legal implications of defamation online in Nigeria. It adopts a doctrinal research method and critically discusses some relevant statutory provisions, namely, the Criminal Code Act, the Penal Code and the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015, judicial authorities and academic scholarship. The study is guided by four theories of the press; the Social Responsibility Theory of the Press, Mill’s Harm Principle, Legal Realism and the Natural Law Rights Theory. The findings reveal significant gaps in Nigeria’s legal framework. The latest intervention, the Cybercrimes Act, lacks clarity on issues of intermediary liability, anonymous publication and cross-border jurisdiction. The realities of digital communication and the remedies available – damages, injunctions and criminal sanctions – often come too late to contain viral reputational harm and traditional defences such as justification, qualified privilege and fair comment are complicated. The study recommends the enactment of a separate Digital Libel and Online Safety Act, standardized "John Doe" disclosure procedures, judicial training in digital forensics, codified safe harbour provisions for intermediaries, and the decriminalisation of defamation in line with regional human rights standards. The existing legal infrastructure in Nigeria is designed for the era of print and broadcast, and is struggling to keep up with the fluid, borderless nature of online communication. Meaningful reform is both necessary and possible.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Other) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | K Law > K Law (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > School of Law |
| Depositing User: | COMFORT AJALA |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Jul 2026 11:34 |
| Last Modified: | 24 Jul 2026 11:34 |
| URI: | http://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/id/eprint/5933 |
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