Bruce Fein, a United States lawyer of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has demanded Facebook restrict the Muhammadu Buhari-led government from its platform.
Bennievibez gathered that Fein made the plea in a letter handled to Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, following the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, meeting with Facebook.
Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer indicted the federal government for bringing out alleged genocide and crimes against humanity against the people of the southeast and members of IPOB.
Fein’s letter reads partly: “I am aware of the Nigerian Government’s high decibel clamor for Facebook to ban IPOB and its members from the social media platform for allegedly inciting violence. The clamor is predicated on the Nigerian Government’s proscription of IPOB as a terrorist organization in September 2017. The whole story is more revealing.
“The proscription flouted due process. IPOB was denied notice and an opportunity to respond. The proscription was the fact-free ipse dixit of Nigerian President Muhammdu Buhari.
“Accordingly, I am respectfully requesting that Facebook rebuke the Fulani-controlled Government of Nigeria for seeking censorship of IPOB’s free speech.
“Facebook should also consider banning the Government of Nigeria as a criminal enterprise featuring genocide and crimes against humanity against Biafrans and other ethnic or political groups. The incriminating evidence is voluminous and will be supplied on request.”
Bennievibez had reported that Lai Mohammed had a meeting with a team from Facebook on Tuesday in Abuja.
In the meeting, Mohammed asked the social media platform to prevent the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) from inciting violence and ethnic hatred on the platform.
The minister said Facebook has no reason to allow its platform to be used by the outlawed group whose aim is to destabilize the country by purveying hate and inciting violence.
Mohammed, however, said the plan by the government to regulate social media is not an attempt to stifle the press or encroach on press freedom.
