The Director General, Triple T for 313, and National President of Arewa Youth Consultative Council, Northern States, Zaid Ayuba Alhaji, has expressed dismay over the nonchalant attitude of some youths using social media platforms to insult leaders, calling for urgent need to check the ugly trend by the relevant authorities.
Zaid raised the concern at a one-day training programme organized by the Triple.T. for 313, with the theme: “Zone .B. Digital Capacity Building Training On Responsible Use of Social Media Ahead of the 2027 General Elections”, targeting, specialized media handlers, digital influencers and media representatives across 99 wards of Niger East Senatorial District, Zone B, held over the weekend in Minna, Niger State.
Zaid described some negative contents on the social media as worse than knife and AK 47, leading to the absolute killing of the trust and ambitions of political participants in Niger State.
According to him, young boys, data boys who have no requisite training or political experience, feel free to go to social media to insult the Governor, Senators or political office holders in the state, warning that such unruly behavoiur is unacceptable.
“Niger is a home state of the Nupe’s, Hausa’s, Kamuku’s, and Fulani’s. These tribes believe in sanctity of moral life’s which says we should respect elders. We cannot sit down and allow anybody to insult our leaders without decorum”, he said
Zaid had explained that the Triple.T. for 313 has taken the lead so that other critical stakeholders in the state will see the beauty of the training, and called for state wide capacity building on the responsible use of social media space to ensure ethical conduct by the media users in Niger East Senatorial District and the entire state at large.
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The facilitator at the training session, Isah Ismail, suggested a strict regulation of the social media space in order to ensure responsible content, fact checking, and critical thinking in order to build credibility, trust, honesty, shape opinion, respect for audiences and impactful communications to the citizenry.
Earlier in his submission, the spokesman of the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun handed down a warning against misinformation and hate speech, saying the Cybercrime Act awaits offenders which includes, cyber bullying as well as cyber false alarm.
SP Abiodun called for responsible use of the social media that would make positive impact on the society, assuring that the state Police Command will always allow a level playing ground for all political parties before, during and after the 2027 general elections.
On his part, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger State Command, Rabiu Mute, reiterated that the corps will continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders in the state to ensure a hitch free political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Participants includes, coordinators from the Ninety Nine (99) wards of Niger East Senatorial of District of Zone B, security agencies, media practitioners, social media handlers, influencers as well as political office holders.
