Following the Northern Governors’ meeting on Monday, Nigerians have taken to Twitter to resist any form of social media regulation by trending #NoToSocialMediaBill.
Northern Governors, traditional rulers, ministers, and the National Assembly’s leadership had met on Monday in Kaduna and passed a resolution on regulating social media.
In a document seen by Techuncode, the governors called for the censorship of social media, amongst other resolutions.
This is coming days after the Minister for Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made the same call.
#EndSARS Campaign
On October 8, 2020, Nigerian youths, aided by social media, decided to hit the streets in protest against police brutality.
The youths had called demanded the disbandment of a notorious police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
SARS, initially set up to combat armed robbery and kidnapping, had resorted to detaining and extorting young Nigerians suspected of internet fraud.
The unit was also accused of many extrajudicial killings.
Following the street protests, the police hierarchy announced the unit’s disbandment and the formation of a new one – Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT).
Despite this, the youths continued the protests with a #5by5 demand for the Federal Government.
However, things took another turn on October 20, when men of the Nigerian Army shot and killed peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos.
Twitter reacts
One of the key figures of the #EndSARS campaign, Rinu Oduala (@SavvyRinu) tweeted: “They never expected that we will Soro Soke. E shock them. Now they want to silence us. That time has passed. We refuse to be gagged Raised fist #SayNoToSocialMediaBill”
They never expected that we will Soro Soke. E shock them.
Now they want to silence us.
That time has passed.
We refuse to be gagged✊🏾#SayNoToSocialMediaBill— Rinu #EndSARS🔥🔫 (@SavvyRinu) November 3, 2020
More reactions below:
A country whose system of government is democracy wants to shut the voices of the same people who elected them.
RT if you #SayNoToSocialMediaBill
— Nappy Blaze⚡ (@Nappyblaze) November 3, 2020
Incase you don’t know, the penalty for breaking the social media law if the bill is passed includes 300k fine, three years imprisonment for individuals & 100million naira for corporate organisations.
That’s the price we’re all going to pay if we don’t #SayNoToSocialMediaBill pic.twitter.com/5F9r8Zi7MI— 〽️ABDULMUTOLEEB OYELEKE (@Oye440) November 3, 2020
I am Dr Olufunmilayo and I #SayNoToSocialMediaBill 🥳
How about you?
Pass this on.— #OurFavOnlineDoc 🩺🇳🇬🇬🇧 (@DrOlufunmilayo) November 3, 2020
Please @gbengasesan help with some clarity on this Social Media Bill. What’s happening? What can we do? #SayNoToSocialMediaBill
— Ebuka Obi-Uchendu (@Ebuka) November 3, 2020
Do you know that without social media the lekki massacre would have been done and swept off by the government?
They want to take the only thing we can use to stand against them.Retweet if you stand with me!!!!
#SayNoToSocialMediaBill— Uncle chu (@chubiei) November 3, 2020
Leave whatever you are doing and lend your voice now. #SayNoToSocialMediaBill
— Olúyẹmí Fásípè 🇳🇬 (@YemieFASH) November 3, 2020
They are on the verge of silencing ‘Soro soke’ generation I’m hearing?
We won’t allow this, that’s why we #SayNoToSocialMediaBill
RT aggressively! ✊🏽— Lamarr ❁ (@kinglamarrr___) November 3, 2020
and then