Nigerian citizen, Dinchi Lar, was imprisoned in Dubai for breaking the country’s cybercrime law, says Abike Dabiri, chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).

Ms Lar was “convicted under United Arab Emirates laws for recording and circulating “offensive” video on social media,” partly reads the statement signed by Ms Dabiri’s aide, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, on October 23.

“Under the UAE cybercrime law, taking a video or photograph of someone without his/her consent and posting such on social media is an offence punishable with a one-year jail term or a fine of between approximately $69,000 and $137,000 or both jail term and fine,” the statement added.

The Nigerian lady who travelled to Dubai on August 31 had tweeted a video that showed the horrendous treatment Nigerians and other African nationals were forced to endure at the Dubai international airport. 

The statement explained Ms Lar was sentenced to one year in prison for breaching Dubai’s cybercrime statute since she had captured a UAE official in the now-deleted video.

According to the commission, the Nigerian woman, convicted on October 12, has only “15 days to appeal her judgment.” 

NIDCOM informed Ms Lar that she “can still appeal the ruling” and assured her that the Nigerian Mission in Dubai would provide “moral and consular support.”