The President Muhamudu Buhari’s Government has vowed to extend its crackdown on social media platforms to Facebook and WhatsApp.
The Government threatened that it may suspend Facebook and Instagram.
According to the Government, all social media platforms that allow their apps to be used to propagate division of the Nigeria through inflammatory statements or posts risk suspension.
Already, the Government has banned Twitter.
Nigeria’s Minister for Information, Culture and Tourism, Lai Mohammed, made the threat before the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Information, Justice, and Communication on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Abuja while answering questions on the ban on Twitter.
According to him, Twitter made its platform available as a choice for people who want to destabilise and cause disunity in Nigeria.
“There was no intention of the federal government to stifle free speech in the country. The only reason we suspended Twitter is that it was promoting disunity. Its activities are inimical to the unity of the country,” Mohammed said.
By Melvin Tarlue