Don’t Ban Social Media, Regulate It, Sultan Tells FG

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, yesterday urged the federal government not to ban the use of social media in Nigeria.

Speaking in Abuja at a security summit convened by the House of Representatives, Abubakar advised the Nigerian government to regulate it.

The monarch argued that the country can emulate how the use of social media is being controlled in other nations.

“As lawmakers, what do you do about social media? I’m not saying ban social media but regulate it.

“We’ve seen it happen all over the world. Why can’t Nigeria borrow from that? It’s important for us and I hope this seminar will discuss some of these issues and when you’re ready with your decision, call some of us back, like the national council of traditional rulers. We will sit together once more.”

He warned against ethnic and religious profiling in the fight against insecurity in the country. “It’s high time we put aside ethnic and religious profiling. Stop profiling criminals. Call them by their names. No ethnic or religious group will be happy that every day, you are calling his own side of the coin the bad one, even when you know there are good ones that are larger in number,” he said.

“Unless we come together and work for the country to move forward, we will continue having these problems,” he added.