MINISTER of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed has said the Federal Government was determined to rid the social media of unwholesome content to stem the tide of ritual killings in the country.
The minister spoke during a visit to the Daily Trust office in Abuja on Monday.
Mohammed said ritual killings have assumed a “worrisome dimension in recent years.”
He added, “The fact that some of these ritualists said they learnt the money-making tricks from some social media platforms has given a further fillip to our campaign to rid social media of unwholesome content.
“Call it social media regulation or whatever, no serious nation today will allow its social media space to be suffused with dangerous content. As we have said many times, we have no intention to stifle the media or constrict the social media space. But we will not relent in our efforts to ensure a responsible use of the social media.”
He recalled how Sofiat Kehinde, a 20 year old girl, was brutally murdered for money ritual by four teenagers that confessed they learnt the act on the social media.
Mohammed also recalled the case involving a female student of the University of Jos who was allegedly killed by her boyfriend for ritual purposes.
He commended the media for the wide reportage it gave the killings.
Mohammed said the National Orientation Agency (NOA) is already partnering with religious and traditional organisations as well as civil society groups to initiate behavioral change programs targeted at youths in a bid to address the problem.
He also announced that the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has been directed to take the issue of ritual killings into consideration while censoring and classifying films and videos.
He called on Nollywood producers to eschew money ritual content in their movies.
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