If you’re a Nigerian or you live in Nigeria, then you probably know that a lot of the authorities here don’t really practice freedom of speech over here and that is why most of us don’t believe in the concept of it.
When we talk about freedom of speech, I want to believe that it means that we have the right to talk to anyone in whatever position and give them a piece of our mind.
I watch the Daily show which is being hosted by Trevor Noah, a South African. The Daily show is an American show yet when Donald Trump was president, Trevor made fun of him a lot. Sometimes when I hear the things he says, I get scared for him thinking that the secret service will come pick him up but none of that ever happened until Trump got out of power and even now, Trevor is still a free man. He was even among the guests invited to the White House Correpondents Dinner where he also made fun of the current United state President Joe Biden and many other important people present there.
If it were to be here in Nigeria, Trevor would have been behind bars the moment he made fun of the President on National TV.
One time I remember a man getting arrested simply because he named his dog after the President. The man ended up spending some time in jail and when he was finally released, he said he had done that because the President was his role model and he names his pet after his role models. The police ended up killing the dog. Now imagine if anyone said anything against the President in a tone he doesn’t like, he or she will be locked up and the keys thrown away and there’s nothing anyone will do about it.
I won’t say Nigeria is like North Korea but we’re getting there.