The activities of Nigerians on
the social media are now being monitored for hate speech, anti-government and
anti-security information by the military.
Director of Defence Information,
Major-General John Enenche, told Channels Television that the move became
necessary in the light of troubling activities and misinformation capable of
jeopardizing the unity of the country.
His comments come less than 48
hours after President Muhammadu Buhari said in his national broadcast that some
of the discussion on social media in his absence crossed the line and left him
distressed.
For Major General Enenche, the
social media has always been a challenge all over the world and for the
military, it is no different.
“It is a double-edged sword and
we are also having a bit of it,” he said when he appeared on Channels
Television’s News At 10, hours after President Buhari met with service chiefs
and ordered them to strengthen their operations.
“Imagine when the President came
back and addressed the nation, not up to 30 minutes later, a fake speech of the
Commander-In-Chief was being circulated in order to do what? To derail the
people. If you are not very sharp and if you didn’t listen to the speech or you
don’t have a copy of it like I had it almost immediately, you wouldn’t know.
So, looking at it from that perspective, it is a challenge everywhere.”
Having observed the possibility
that the social media can be misused the military has taken steps to address
that. One of such steps is the establishment of strategic media centres.
“What are we doing? In the
military, we are now taking on it more seriously than ever. We have our
strategic media centres that monitor the social media to be able to sieve out
and react to all the ones that will be anti-government, be anti-military, (and)
be anti-security,” the military chief continued.
“We tackle them appropriately
with appropriate responses. Ahead of that, we are also proactive. We have
measures in place, scientific measures to be able to sieve this information and
also to get the public and let them know that some of this information they are
getting is not genuine, are not true and their objective is an anti-corporate
existence of this country.”
There has been a rise in attacks
by Boko Haram terrorists and it is one of the things the President advised the
service chiefs to check. While the military intends to do just that, Major
General Enenche said what they terrorists are doing is not surprising.
He said, “Like I have said
before, it is not unexpected being that they have been degraded, decimated and
really busted at camp zero and other cities there through the air bombardment
and raids by members of the military, particularly the army. So you will see
them spreading out like ants that have been busted from an anthill.”
According to him, the terrorists
have benefitted in their attacks from the unending collaboration by insiders
and sympathisers among the residents in the North East.
“However, I want to assure the
general public and Nigerians that measures are in place to begin to take on
them and begin to take them out. However highly placed anyone is or any insider
or collaborator is, we are on top of the situation and we are beginning to get
our information to begin to handle them appropriately,” he said.
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U should have made it known to people so that they'll not device another means of passing their informations,
ReplyDeleteplz any body posting with anonymous should b tackled.
ReplyDeleted very first person to arrest is FFK. plz oga military arrest FFK he is one of d pioneer of hate speach. tnk u.
Idiot mumu cow from the mumu part of Zoogeria where everybody including your president is a cow
Deletewhat is hate speech and pls give examples of hate speech.
ReplyDeleteGradually they will turn this country to North Korea where citizens don't have freedom of speech.
ReplyDeleteGradually they will turn this country to North Korea where citizens don't have freedom of speech.
ReplyDeleteAnybody who wants to leave in peace should restricted and adjust his bocalcaity from unwanted words.
ReplyDeleteYou are devoid of objective reasoning. Discussing with you will be like trying to have a conversation with a black board.
DeleteNow who can tell what is hate speech?
ReplyDeleteA hate speech is a speech laden with hate words.
ReplyDeleteLaughing in Swahili.. GEJ said it, that when he leaves office Nigerians will know the freedom that they've been enjoying. We are now being threatened not to talk again so that they can be doing whatever they like.
ReplyDeleteAnimal kingdom one day it's rats the other it's lion sometimes jackals and hyenas sometimes dogs and baboons. What of the fishes and the tortoise. Zoo na zoo aha. It's Biafra or nothing
ReplyDeleteThe people that were so vocal in calling a sitting President a drunkard, clueless and other unprintable words to the extend of denigrading the office of the Presidency and the person of the President were the ones that started hate speech. O to! What goes around comes around! When one out of naked lost for power destroys the very position he was struggling to inherit this is what one gets!
ReplyDeleteOn point! I want to ask on pertinent question. How and on what platform did the APC emerge victorious in 2015. Both the Precidency and Mr Buhari can not gag Nigerians. Go back and reflect on your baboons and dogs soaked in blood. You are the originators of this problem. All this hypocrisy will do no one any good! Admit it rather trying to play saints.
DeleteAbeg what is hate speech!? Cox me I don't know oooooo.
ReplyDeleteAbeg what is hate speech!? Cox me I don't know oooooo.
ReplyDelete