Nigerian Ambassador to  Mexico, Reno Omokri has criticised what he described as growing intolerance for free speech in Nigeria, referencing an old social media post by Nigerian Afropop singer, Adekunle Gold.

In a statement shared on his social media page on Sunday, Omokri highlighted a 2012 tweet by the singer in which he openly criticised former President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that such expression was widely accepted at the time as free speech.

He argued that individuals who once benefited from freedom of expression should not later support actions that criminalise online speech, especially when they attain influence or public status.

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Omokri questioned the use of law enforcement and legal frameworks, including cybercrime laws, against Nigerians over social media exchanges, describing such actions as inconsistent with democratic values.

He further called on the Nigeria Police Force to remain neutral and avoid being used to target citizens in matters relating to online expression.

“This was @AdekunleGold in 2012 openly criticizing then President @GoodluckJonathan. Back then, it was rightly called free speech, and if he had been arrested for those tweets, we would have been on the streets demanding his immediate release.

“How then does someone who benefited from freedom of expression turn around years later to use the police, courts, and the brutal cybercrime framework against ordinary Nigerians over online banter and social media exchanges?

“You cannot enjoy free speech when you are powerless and criminalize it the moment you become influential. Freedom of expression must apply to everyone, celebrities, politicians, activists, and poor young Nigerians on social media alike.

“The Nigeria Police Force @PoliceNG must stop acting as a private army for the rich and famous, while the judiciary must stop handing down outrageous punishments over internet speech that should never be criminal matters in the first place,” Omokri wrote.