SECTOR 1 contest. The suggestion by a newspaper that the Prophet Mohammed would have probably chosen to marry one of the Miss World contestants if he had witnessed the beauty pageant sparked the protests, which subsequently spread to other cities. One panellist also said that “people are yet to see themselves as free citizens in a democratic society, and continue to suffer from the hangover of decades of military rule characterised by intolerance and brutality, which contributed to instilling perpetual fear in citizens.” Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator. 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 2.3 (2008 = 2.4) 1.3 There are no laws restricting freedom of expression such as excessive official secret or libel acts, or laws that unreasonably interfere with the responsibilities of media. The media in Nigeria is unable to fully exercise its role in holding the government and public officials accountable because of several laws that negate freedom of expression. An Official Secrets Act passed in 1962 makes it illegal to disseminate or obtain information considered “classified”. The law is vague about what constitutes classified information and does not state whether or not information becomes declassified at some point. The Act places further restrictions on photographing, sketching or describing a “protected” place, which applies to defence dispositions during a period of emergency. Criminal libel is upheld in Nigeria’s Defamatory and Offensive Publication Act. Under this Act, a member of a security force can arrest a suspect without a warrant, and it prescribes a punishment of up to three months imprisonment and/or a fine of N100 (US$ 0.60). The court may also order the confiscation of equipment and recorded material. 10 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NIGERIA 2011