Military, PAMED and social media monitoring in Nigeria

Recently, reports of hate speech in Nigeria have reached the print and electronic media, as well as social media. The tension comes to mind here. This is quite unfortunate.

The military isn’t comfortable with the unfolding drama, and Maj. Gen. John Enenche, director of defense information, said so.

Enenche spoke harshly about social networks now policed ​​by the military for hate speech, anti-government and anti-security information.

It is up to the military to help keep our country an indivisible entity. God bless Nigeria.

Muhammadu Buhari, our beloved President returned from a medical vacation abroad to tell us that some of the discussions on social media, while he was away, went too far and left him distraught.

Freedom of expression gives people the right to speak, speak, speak. But what they say and how they say it can have positive or negative effects on the system. Words are powerful for better or for worse, you know that.

Buhari’s comments may have encouraged the military to set up a media center to filter and react to all anti-government, anti-government and anti-security comments online and address them accordingly.

However, the Lagos, Nigeria-based Association for Media and Democracy (PAMED) called on the federal government to stop the military from holding nightly vigils on social media.

Why? He says that it is a violation of the rights of Nigerians to freedom of expression and the privacy of their communications, as guaranteed by our constitution and international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a party.

Lanre Arogundade, Director, International Press Center (IPC), Edetaen Ojo, Executive Director, Media Rights Agenda (MRA), and Akin Akingbulu, Executive Director, Institute for Media and Society (IMS), dropped this on the military.

The group is concerned that the measures provide enormous opportunities for the abuse of power and violation of the fundamental rights and freedoms of Nigerians.

He spoke of freedom of expression being protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Finally, PAMED demanded that the armed forces immediately withdraw the threat of monitoring social networks, since it is the antithesis of democratic principles and values.

You should also dismantle media centers that you might have set up for this unwanted purpose.

These are two sides of the same coin. Is it the FG, the military, PAMED or the social networks that have crossed the line? Deep reflection, please.