Facebook and other social media platforms have come under the watch of the Federal Government as regard the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
The social media platforms were cautioned against yielding their platforms to the members of IPOB to incite violence and instigate ethnic hatred in Nigeria.
FG instructed Information, Culture & Tourism Minister Lai Mohammed at a meeting with a team from Facebook.
In a statement signed by his media aide, Mr. Segun Adeyemi, the minister said since IPOB had been proscribed and classified as a terrorist organization, Facebook has no justification to continue allowing its platform to be used by the organization to further its campaign of hate and destabilization of the country.
Mohammed was quoted as saying: “I have called this meeting to enable us to discuss the increasing use of Facebook by separatists and anarchists, especially those of them based outside the country, to instigate violence and ethnic hatred in Nigeria.
“For whatever reason, they seem to have now chosen Facebook as their platform of choice. And their tools include disinformation, incendiary statements, and hate speech.”
He said the actions of the outlawed group have real-life implications, adding: “By purveying hate and inciting violence, people are getting killed while the the the private and public property is being attacked and destroyed. Security agencies and other symbols of government are their chosen targets.”
Mohammed said the government would be monitoring Facebook and other platforms closely in the days ahead to ensure compliance with the demand, as it steps up the campaign for the responsible use of social media.
