The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has stirred nationwide debate after labeling social media a “terrorist organisation” and calling on security agencies to clamp down on its perceived dangers.
Speaking on Tuesday during the 7th Executive Committee Meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council in Maiduguri, the revered religious leader warned that unchecked misinformation and fake news on social platforms could deepen Nigeria’s fragile security crisis.
“What happened has happened. It can’t come and be through social media. That’s one terrorist organisation… social media,” Abubakar said. “Somebody will sit in his comfort zone and formulate stories and you will think that it is true. So, social media is a terrorist organisation that we must deal with.”
He went further to urge security agencies to treat social media as a threat: “Security agencies must deal with this terrorist organisation called social media.”
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His remarks come amid escalating violence in parts of the country, particularly in Plateau State, where recent attacks have left at least 54 people dead and hundreds displaced, according to a statement by Amnesty International.
The Sultan described the spate of killings across the country as “worrisome” and called for urgent action from authorities to restore peace and prevent further bloodshed.
“So, we are not happy with what is happening either on the Plateau or other places,” he said.
Abubakar’s comments have sparked intense discussion online and offline, with critics warning against labeling technology platforms as terrorist entities, while others support the call for greater regulation to curb harmful content.