Stop IPOB from using your platform to instigate violence, ethnic hatred — FG tells Facebook

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has asked Facebook and other social media platforms to stop allowing the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to use their platforms to incite violence and instigate ethnic hatred in Nigeria.

The Minister made the demand in Abuja on Tuesday at a meeting with a team from Facebook.

He said since IPOB had been proscribed and classified as a terrorist organization, Facebook has no justification for yielding its platform to the organization to further its campaign of hate and destabilization of the country.

“I have called this meeting to enable us to discuss the increasing use of Facebook by separatists and anarchists, especially those of thembased 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. They use Facebook broadcasts to reach
their followers, who are in thousands. They tag those opposed to their violent ways as ‘saboteurs’ who must be attacked, maimed and killed.

They use both English and their local language as it suits them,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

He said the actions of the proscribed group have real-life implications, adding: ”By purveying hate and inciting violence,
people are getting killed while private and public property are being attacked and destroyed. Security agencies and other symbols of government are their choice targets.”

The Minister said despite the numerous complaints to Facebook on the
activities of IPOB, nothing has been done by the company to curtail the group’s excesses on the social media platform.