Gov. Nwifuru Urged to Halt Social Media Menace in Ebonyi

From Nabob Ogbonna, Abakaliki

The National Coordinator of the People Living with Sickle Cell Disorder, Mrs. Aisha Maduagwu, has called on the Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, to curb the alarming rise of social media attacks against stakeholders in the state by some content creators and influencers.

Mrs. Maduagwu said the enactment of a law to address the trend has become necessary, as certain individuals have turned their online platforms into tools of cyber warfare against prominent figures and institutions in the state.

She made the appeal on Friday while addressing journalists in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, following increasing cases of cyber blackmail, fake news dissemination, and extortion allegedly perpetrated by individuals operating under the guise of content creation.

According to her, investigations have revealed that those behind the cyberattacks are being sponsored by enemies of the state and a few disgruntled individuals.

“Our digital space has been hijacked by some unscrupulous content creators and podcasters who prioritize sensationalism over truth, spreading damaging falsehoods about influential figures for personal gain,”

“The danger now is that this trend is gradually undermining public trust and threatening the existing peace in our beloved state, Ebonyi.

“I am therefore calling on Governor Francis Nwifuru to urgently intervene and put an end to this growing menace — the use of social media as a weapon for blackmail, fake news propagation, and extortion of stakeholders.

“We cannot allow our leaders to become soft targets of digital assaults. The time to act is now, because failure to act swiftly will only embolden these cybercriminals and set the stage for chaos.

“Social media is neither a court of law nor a law enforcement agency. Grievances must be channeled through proper institutions — the police, the judiciary, or relevant regulatory bodies,” she added.