Well allow freedom of speech, not reckless use of social media, says FG

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday, restated the resolve of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to regulate the social media in its spirited bid to keep the country united.

Mohammed, however, assured Nigerians that, in curbing the excesses of social media, the government had no plan to shut down the Internet nor stifle press freedom or free speech, as some have insinuated, adding that social media was here to stay.

To validate the government’s standpoint, the minister quoted former US President, Barack Obama to have said that the Internet and social media have helped to create the “single biggest threat” to democracy.

While faulting the way some traditional media reported the last EndSARS crisis, especially the attack on security agents, Mohammed opined that “it seems you, unfortunately, fell for the hoax that there was a ‘massacre’ at Lekki Toll Gate. Almost all papers ran screaming headlines of massacre or killings at the toll gate the day after the October 20 incident, during which soldiers fired blank ammunition into the air to disperse protesters.”

He further asked: “Did you also fall for social media manipulation of the events that transpired that evening? No group was better placed than you to lead the narrative of what happened that night, but it seems you ceded that authority to social media, which has no time for the rigours of gate-keeping or fact-checking. I hope in reviewing your coverage of the whole crisis, you will rectify that anomaly.”

In reporting the crisis, the Minister argued that the media paid less attention to the barbaric and gruesome murder of security agents by hoodlums.

Mohammed disclosed that eight medium-security custodial centres in six states (Edo, Lagos, Abia, Delta, Ondo and Ebonyi) were attacked, with 1,957 inmates, most of them dangerous criminals, set free.

“Add that to the fact that over 100 AK-47 rifles were stolen by hoodlums as they burnt police station after police station, and you will understand the gravity of the situation. The spectre of hoodlums, armed with AK-47, roaming the streets and our roads, will send jitters down the spine.

According to the minister, 196 policemen were injured; 164 police vehicles were destroyed and 134 police stations burnt down. In addition, he said the violence left 57 civilians dead, 269 private/corporate facilities burnt, looted, vandalised, 243 government facilities burnt, vandalised and 81 government warehouses looted.

“On our part, as a government, we have started a review of the whole EndSARS crisis. As you are aware, and in accordance with the directive of Mr. President, Ministers have since gone back to their respective states to meet with stakeholders in the wake of the protest and its aftermath. This is in addition to what we are doing in meeting the media stakeholders. A Federal Government delegation has also visited the various zones to consult with stakeholders. The outcome of these consultations will feed into an overall review of the whole crisis by the government,” he said.