Lai Mohammed laments rising ritual killings, others caused by social media

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said the Federal Government will ensure the responsible use of social media.

Lai Mohammed lamented the social menace caused by the irresponsible use of social media, which includes the rising rate of ritual killings.

The minister stated this on Monday during a media visit to Daily Trust office in Abuja.

He said, “Our visit today is coming at a time of great concern across the country over the rising cases of ritual murders by unscrupulous people, most of them very young, who are seeking to get rich at all cost. We have therefore decided to use this opportunity to begin the process of raising national awareness of this scourge.

“For those who may still be in doubt, ritual killings have assumed a worrisome dimension in recent years. Recently, in Ogun State, four young men, one of whom is 18 years old, murdered their 20-year-old female friend for money rituals.

“One of them said they learnt about using human parts for money rituals from social media. Of course, you are also aware of a case involving a female student of the University of Jos who was allegedly killed by her boyfriend for ritual purposes. These killings have been widely reported by the media.

“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 it is 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.”