On Wednesday, the State Security Service announced a
nationwide crackdown on individuals allegedly caught posting inciting materials
on the Internet.
The SSS said it had recently observed that some social media
users were distorting Nigeria’s history to promote ethnic violence and tip the
nation into crisis, a development it said must be urgently reversed through
state interference.
SSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, said in a statement said
that some “unpatriotic” Nigerians have been using social media platforms to
make “unguarded public statements and/or use the social media platforms to
instil fear in the minds of citizens”.
“These are reflected in the misleading statements and
articles being circulated among unsuspecting members of the public. Such
inciting materials oftentimes are designed to make or convey false accusations
by one group against the other. They also resort to skewing historical
narratives to suit their objective of masterminding ethnic violence in the
nation. So far, some of the culprits have been arrested,” Afunanya said.
The SSS said it was “determined to ensure that the tribal
chauvinists and mischief makers do not continue to exploit socio-political
differences and Internet platforms to threaten the peace and stability of the
country.” The service said regional and community elders should not only desist
from making “unguarded statements” but also help shut down all
ethnically-charged rhetoric by persons in their respective domains.
The SSS vowed to “sustain the apprehension and prosecution
of defaulters,” because it would not relent in its quest to prevent crimes and
keep Nigeria as an indivisible country
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