Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani has outlined conditions to be met before the Senate passes the law on hate speech to squarely address the problem of extremism, incitement and violence in Nigeria.

The Federal Government has drawn a line on hate speech in the country, equating it with terrorism.

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, at the National Economic Council security retreat held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, said the intimidation of a population by words or speech is an act of terrorism and will no longer be tolerated by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.He warned that the government intends to take the matter seriously.

But Sani, while reacting to the Federal Government's stand, in his Facebook post on Friday said: "We will pass a law on hate speech to squarely address the problems of extremism, incitement, violence and associated vices; but all Nigerians must be interested and fully involved in finding the definition and marking the red line on what constitutes hate speech and what does not."

He, however, observed that, government can combat hate speech without trampling on the right to freedom of speech and the right to criticise your government.

According to the Senator, Nigerians must be interested in every clause of the bill in order to have a law that will go after the bad ones and not a monster that will go after everyone.

“Never completely leave the business of law making on the hands of people in government alone. Be interested, be involved,” he advised.