Senator Ben Murray-Bruce and online news platform, Sahara Reporters had an interesting, subtly-heated twitter spat, a few hours ago.

The war of words was as a result of the proposed bill by the Senate to punish social media offenders with a 2-year jail term and a N4million fine.

Perhaps, owing to his outspokenness on twitter and his persona of ‘common-man advocate’, Sahara Reporters chose to attack Senator Bruce over the bill, which was sponsored by Senator Ibn Na’Allah, and which has passed second reading.

It began thus:

@benmurraybruce We’re shocked that you knew of this bill and that it even passed a 2nd reading and you’ve never mentioned or opposed it

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 2, 2015

Alerted to the attacks against his person, Ben Bruce scrambled to tweet:

1-I dont know what the intention behind @SaharaReporters‘ story is but there was no vote on the alleged bill and I never participated in it.

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) December 2, 2015

2-How @SaharaReporters or anybody for that matter would try to pin a bill on me that I didn’t vote for or help draft beats my imagination!

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) December 2, 2015

3-I can only call on @SaharaReporters to investigate and be responsible before making false allegations on me or on anyone for that matter.

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) December 2, 2015

4-I believe in free speech which I’ve promoted as a media owner and its very sad that @SaharaReporters would choose to publish such untruth.

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) December 2, 2015

@SaharaReporters I am equally shocked you could publish lies about me when I am available for you to verify information before publication!

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) December 2, 2015

And Sahara Reporters responded:

@benmurraybruce There was no lie, we tweeted that you’re aware of this devious bill and that you never mentioned or alerted the public

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 2, 2015

@benmurraybruce You’ve have not denied that you knew of bill but turned a blind eye!

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 2, 2015

@benmurraybruce You show us any of your tweet(s) where you alerted the public to this devious bill until today.

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 2, 2015

Ben Bruce, vexed, by the changing of ‘goal-post’, tweeted in response, and then, the back and forth ensued:

@SaharaReporters Please don’t change the goal post. You wrote that I helped push the bill to second reading. First admit that you lied.

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) December 2, 2015

@SaharaReporters You cant just wake up and manufacture lies about me and when caught you begin to shift the goal post. Admit it and move on!

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) December 2, 2015

@benmurraybruce You have a comprehension problem Senator, if you conceal info about an act harmful to public interest, you’re equally bad!

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 2, 2015

@SaharaReporters https://t.co/zeHXAdDqzn this is your tweet. It is a vicious lie. You said I helped passed the bill to 2nd reading. A lie!

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) December 2, 2015

@SaharaReporters Do not change the goal post. You lied against me. Be honorable enough to admit it and apologize https://t.co/zeHXAdDqzn

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) December 2, 2015

@benmurraybruce Senator Bruce, please what time today did you learn about this bill?

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 2, 2015

@benmurraybruce You have a comprehension problem Senator, if you conceal info about an act harmful to public interest, you’re equally bad!

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 2, 2015

@benmurraybruce Senator Bruce, please what time today did you learn about this bill?

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 2, 2015

@SaharaReporters Before you ask me any questions, first admit that you lied and apologize for that. Then I promise to answer all questions.

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) December 2, 2015

@benmurraybruce We are not interested in interviewing you, we’re just calling you out because you hypocritically claim to support the masses

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 2, 2015

@benmurraybruce You asked at the beginning of this conversation our “intention”, now you know, we wanted to call you out on this issue.

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 2, 2015