Nigeria’s the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has said that the Federal Government had the opportunity to shut down the use of social media during the #EndSARS protest but decided not to do so to allow the Nigerian citizen to express themselves freely.
He stated that even though social media and the internet are of great importance to the people, “measures must be put in place to curb the spread of fake news via the internet.
“There must be some level of accountability and sanction to those that mischievously cause pandemonium in the country.”
He also said that “the ability of the Nigerian youths to use social media to support the End SARS protest was highly commendable but the use of social media by Nigerians need to be regulated by the government.
“The internet was never shut down and the citizens had access to all social media platforms. This is proof that the government is dedicated to ensuring the rights of freedom and association of the Nigerian citizens.
“The End SARS protest unveiled the dangers of false news, therefore, the National Assembly will ensure the regulation of social media as initiated. We would also ensure that it doesn’t breach on the right to freedom of expression as provided by the constitution.
“It is the duty of the government to curb the spread of false news to the people so that there is a level of jurisdiction,” the Minister said.
