Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has explained why a Nigerian lady is currently serving a jail term in a United Arab Emirates prison.
The lady, identified as Ms Dunchi Lar by the commission is expected to stay in prison for a year.
While providing clarification recently, the commission explained that Lar was arrested and jailed for contravening the country’s cybercrime law.
According to a released statement signed by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the Public Relations Officer of the Commission, and posted on Twitter, Lar’s action was illegal according to the country’s law.
Lar had posted herself on Twitter with a group of Nigerians kept in a room at Dubai international airport.
A Twitter user @jerrydoubles who is her relative first brought the news of her arrest and sentence to the public.
The statement from the commission read: “The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission hereby gives more clarification on the case of a Nigerian lady, Ms Dunchi Lar, who was convicted under United Arab Emirates laws for recording and circulating “offensive” video on Social media.
“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 one-year jail term or a fine of between approximately $69,000 and $137,000 or both jail term and fine.
“Ms Lar made and tweeted the viral video of the UAE official at the Airport. This law also applies to eavesdropping, recording, photographing, or disclosing audio or video communication of a person without his/her permission, taking photographs or videos of a dead person or accident victim without such person’s consent.
“She was sentenced on the 12th of October and has 15 days to appeal the judgment.
“Ms Dunchi Lar can still appeal the ruling and has been assured of moral and consular support by the Nigerian Mission in Dubai.”
