NSA alleges #EndSARS protesters of using social media to escalate tension

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd) on Wednesday, accused #EndSARS protesters of using the social media to escalate tension and looting in the country.

According to Monguno, this was done by spreading messages with subversive contents.

The NSA stated this at the Multi-Stakeholders workshop for the Validation of the Draft National Cybersecurity Strategy 2020″, in Abuja.

He said: “We are witnesses to the use of social media to disseminate subversive content to incite violence and heightened tension, causing unrest and sparking widespread looting and destruction across the country.”

The NSA also disclosed that the Federal Government will soon unveil the National Cyber security Policy and Strategy (NCPS) 2020 to check digital threats and enhance national security and economic growth for the over 200 million population.

According to him, the federal government has been proactive to develop policies that will check threats from the use of cyberspace.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Special Services in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Aliyu Ganda Mohammed, Monguno recalled that his Office inaugurated a multi stakeholders committee on September 10, 2020 to review the NCPS 2014, adding that the review is to strengthen the existing cyber policy as stipulated that it should be reviewed every five years.

“There is no gainsaying that cyberspace has become an engine for the enhancement of Nigeria national security, economic transformation and national development”, he said, adding that the sophistication of cyberspace comes with inherent challenges.

“The threats posed by cyber terrorists, and the use of the internet has brought social media circulation of hate speech and seditious messages. It is almost impossible to overstate the challenges”, the NSA noted.