IPOB: No Plan to Ban Facebook Now – FG

Posted by Rotimi Fadeyi Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Wednesday, May 18th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Federal Government has no plan to ban Facebook unless it fails to check inciting contents on its platform by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed disclosed this while fielding questions from State House Correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting held at the Presidential Villa,

Mohammed said, “We had a very robust discussion with Facebook. Facebook saw our point and they said they are going to do much more than what they are doing”

“So if they do that, why would we ban them? we don’t ban for banning sake. We ban or we only suspend operations if for any reason, lives are threatened and they do not listen. But this is of engagement”, he added

The minister further explained that during the meeting with Facebook, he expressed government’s displeasure that the platform was becoming a power of choice for those who stay outside Nigeria to incite violence, killings, burning of government properties, killing of soldiers and policemen.

“We did warn Facebook to please do more than what they are doing now. And I must say that their response was quite encouraging. They said you’re going to do much more”

“Incidentally, the BBC did a documentary on this particular issue and found out that some of them who call themselves social media warriors in England, in France and other places, have in recent times being using the Facebook platform to incite violence in Nigeria. And we’ve all seen the real life impact of those war mongering, the young couple who were going to marry, soldiers who were gruesomely murdered”, he added.