Legal practitioners in Abuja have said that pranksters and skit makers in Nigeria face significant legal risks, including the possibility of imprisonment and civil liability, if their content constitutes defamation.

Fyafa Ismailu, a legal practitioner in Keffi, said that unauthorised recording of individuals in prank videos violated provisions of the Nigerian Data Protection Act.

‎She said that the act required consent before collecting or processing personal data, including video recordings.

‎“Secretly recording individuals in public can be considered a breach of the right to privacy,” she said.

‎Ms Ismailu also said that skit-making fell under short film production, which is, regulated by the National Film and Video Censors Board.

‎The lawyer said the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention) Act 2015 provided additional legal backing by criminalising cyberstalking, harassment, impersonation, and online defamation.

‎She said that any act that infringed another person’s rights, including unauthorised videography or photography, was actionable under Nigerian law.

‎Another legal practitioner, F.D. Gwom, also said that prank content became problematic when individuals were filmed without consent, stressing that privacy rights remained protected under Nigerian law.

‎“The risk lies in infringing on others’ right to privacy. Filming people without permission is an actionable cause of action, meaning you can sue anyone who does it,” she said.

‎She explained that laws on defamation, hate speech and public morality applied equally to skit creators, adding that freedom of expression did not permit abuse of individual rights.

‎“Comedy is legal, but once it becomes defamatory or incites violence, action can be taken against the violator,” Ms Gwom said.

‎She added that although skit makers were not specifically covered by any tax law, income generated from digital content remained taxable under the personal income tax provisions.

‎The lawyers agreed that there is no clear regulation for skit-making or prank videos under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.). Act.

‎They, however, maintained that under Section 24 of the act, there was punishment for harmful conduct carried out through digital platforms, which prank or skit content might fall into if it violated people’s rights.

‎Section 24 imposes penalties ranging from up to 3 years’ imprisonment or a N7 million fine for offensive or false messages.

‎It also prescribes up to 10 years’ imprisonment or a minimum fine of N25 million for serious threats, cyberstalking, or extortion, with additional penalties for violating court orders.

‎The lawyers noted that while stricter regulation may be necessary, it must not stifle the fast-growing digital creative economy.

‎They called for responsible content creation and respect for consent to avoid legal disputes.

(NAN)