PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2022
By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
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he Minister of Information and Culture, 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. This was contained in statement signed and signed by Special Assistant to the President (Media) Office of the Minister of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi. It said the Minister made the demand in Abuja yesterday 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
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Stop IPOB from using your platform to incite violence — FG tells Facebook, other social media outlets 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 them based 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 reallife 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. “Our social media people have been monitoring these separatists, anarchists and purveyors of hate, and have been reporting their atrocious actions to Facebook, but all they get are default responses that their complaints have been received and are being looked into. Most often than not, nothing is done about such complaints... The truth is that whatever Facebook is doing to check these people is mere tokenism and is totally ineffective,” he said. Mohammed said the government would be monitoring
Facebook and other platforms closely in the days ahead to ensure compliance with the demand, as it steps up the campaign for the responsible use of social media. “We have always advocated a responsible use of social media, and consistently called on all stakeholders to join us in achieving this. Some have tagged our efforts as an attempt to stifle social media. They are wrong, because we have no intention of preventing Nigerians from using social media responsibly. All we have been advocating is a responsible use of social media,” he said.
Cultists kill 36-year-old man in Badagry
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clash between rival cult groups in Adaripon Ipage Compound, Badagry, Lagos State, has led to the death of a 36-year-old man, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. NAN reports that the death of the victim, popularly called ‘Baba Ibeji, is the third in Badagry within five days, resulting from clashes between rival cult groups. A source told the NAN in Badagry that the victim was hit by bullets in the chest and mouth, around 11.00a.m., on Monday. He said that the perpetrators disappeared into the thin air after the incident. “However, seeing that the victim was still struggling on the floor after their disappearance, the residents came to his aid by rushing him to General Hospital in Badagry. “He was, however, confirmed dead after a short medical attention,” the source said. Another source told NAN that the victim was not the target of the group. According to the source, the group was looking for his younger brother who allegedly belonged Aiye Confraternity. “They came looking for him on May 11, but could not find him at home. “They met his 59-year-old father at home and stabbed him at the back of his head to show his son as a sign that they came. “Unfortunately, when they came back on Monday, he was not around, so, they had to kill his brother instead,” he said. He said that the Police in Badagry had launched patrol of the area, adding that no arrest was made so far. Dr Olatunde Bakare, the Medical Director, General Hospital, Badagry, confirmed
the victim’s death to NAN in a telephone interview. According to him, effort was made to rescue the victim when he was brought to the hospital, but unfortunately, he did not survive. Bakare condemned cult
killings in Badagry and urged parents to warn their wards from following bad gangs. When contacted, Spokesman of Lagos State Police Command, Mr Benjamin Hundeyin, said the command was aware of the killing.
According to Hundeyin, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Abiodun Alabi, has put strategy in place to check the activities of cultists in Badagry. “I expect the people of the town to start feeling the impact any moment from now.
“It is not an instant thing when you are putting strategy in place, it might take a few days for the impact to be felt,” he said. Two lives have earlier been lost in the past few days to cult clashes in Badagry. (NAN)
How Kano gas explosion happened -Eye witnesses As death toll rises to 9 By Mustapha Adamu, Kano and Mashe Umaru Gwamna
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o fewer than nine dead bodies have been recovered from the site of the explosion that rocked the ancient city of Kano yesterday morning. Several persons also sustained various degrees of injury and are said to be receiving medical attention in different hospitals. The incident occured at Aba/ Court road, Sabon Gari area of Fagge Local Government Area. An eyewitness, who lives in the street where the explosion occurred, said the blast happened at about 8:0am when they heard a thunderous blast at a bit far from where they were sitting. According to him, immediately after the sound went off, the building near a Primary/Nursery schools, collapsed sending thick smoke and dust all over the air. “When I came closer, i saw three dead bodies, one of them a woman while the remaining two were men. “As you are here, you can see human flesh littering the road,” he said. The eyewitness who pleaded not to be named added that there must be people trapped under the rubbles as the building collapsed, adding that the powerful sound of the blast was what caused the building to collapse.
Another eyewitness who also spoke on condition of anonymity said he heard the sound of the explosion from a far place and when he arrived at the scene, he saw rescue personnel evacuating corpses from under the building. He said four dead persons were removed from the rubbles, adding that “i believe many more are trapped inside.” Corpses and human flesh were seen littering the street, as rescue personnel were busy evacuating the bodies and rushing the injured to hospital. The State Police Commissioner, Sama’ila Shu’aibu Dikko, confirmed the incident, saying it was a gas explosion at a wielding workshop. “The workshop uses a gas cylinder, which exploded and affected an old building of a school, that collapsed on people. “Four persons have died and rescue mission is ongoing to find out more that may be trapped under the rubbles. “Let me confirm to you that it is a gas explosion. It is not a bomb blast as widely speculated,” the Commissioner said. Also, the state government had earlier confirmed the explosion, saying that it did not occur at the schools as widely speculated.
The state commissioner for information, Malam Muhammad Garba Said the incident happened at an animal feeds store opposite the school along Aba road, Sabon Gari area of Fagge Local Government. He said, while the causes of the explosion is yet to be officially ascertained, investigation had since commenced to determine the cause, impact and measures to be taken. Malam Garba called the people in the state, especially those living in the area to remain calm and law abiding, while government, in collaboration with relevant agencies, are working on the matter. The Commissioner assured that the government would keep public abreast on any development and warned people to desisit from spreading unsubstantiated news. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said that it has so far recovered nine dead bodies from the rubbles of a collapsed building beside a primary school following explosions from a gas cylinder at Aba Road, Sabon Gari Area of Kano State. This was contained in statement signed and Issued by the Head,Media Unit NEMA,
Manzo Ezekiel yesterday. It indicated that the DirectorGeneral of NEMA, Habib Ahmed was at the site of the incident and coordinated the rescue operations. According to the statement, the DG mobilized excavators being used for the rescue operations, assuring that, NEMA’s team will ensure the complete removal of the rubbles to retrieve all trapped persons. The DG also instructed the NEMA rescue team to remain at the site until the conclusion of the rescue and to work together with security agencies and other response organisations present at the location. He said, “NEMA is presently coordinating the rescue operations involving members Nigerian Red Cross, military, the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, Kano SEMA.” Meanwhile, the nine dead bodies recovered from the collapsed building in Kano after the explosion from a gas cylinder were said to have been deposited in the morgue at Armed Forces Hospital, Kano. 3 of the bodies are beyond recognition. Meanwhile, two persons injured by the explosion were taken for treatment at Airforce Hospital, Kano.
