By Sani Abdulrahman
Kaduna, – A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Youths for Peace and Security-Africa (YPSA) has called on users of Social Media in Kaduna to use the organ to promote peace in the state.
The News Agency Nigeria (NAN) reports that YPSA has its volunteer members cut across African countries with the aim of fostering peace and security in Africa under vision 2026.
Abdullahi Bala, a Nigerian volunteer member in kaduna, told NAN that YPSA would train its volunteers in Nigeria with skills and knowledge in preventing and resolving violent conflicts effectively in their localities, using the social media.
“The social media has found in a youth environment a field of expression and these tools, also used by high personalities and sometimes against common communication users, have become double-edged swords.
“As much as social networks can build, even more they can destroy, with the often-unconscious complicity of young people; social media are power that only need to be properly used.
Bala says that Facebook, Whats App, Twitter and other social media are used by people to spread messages that can ignite violence in the society.
Hadiza Balarabe, Chief Executive Officer, Girl to Girl Child Initiative, said that misinformation on social media was one of the greatest tools that instigated violence in kaduna state.
She added that people exaggerated in reporting events to their communities, which in turn would result to negative actions and threaten the peaceful coexistence of the people.
“The tense security situation in Nigeria has taken another dimension. Indeed, social networks remain the most accessible source of information for many Nigerians.
“Malicious people will manipulate the truth, disseminate fake documents about the government and other people of different faith with theirs.
“They use the social media to publish bad information, pass violent messages, call for hatred and instigate violence between societies or group of people.
Balarabe called on the appropriate authorities to check the excesses of social media users on social media platforms and prosecute them according to the laws.
She further called on the Government to curb the illegal membership of girls in gang related activities.