FG cites IPOB-linked YouTube channels, urges Google to ban them

The Federal Government (FG) has urged Google to ban channels linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on its video-sharing platform, YouTube.

The agreement according to NAN report was reached on Thursday in Abuja when a team of Google officials paid the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed a courtesy visit.

Lai Mohammed who noted that IPONB is a proscribed group enjoined Google to unlist YouTube channels and live streams by proscribed groups and terrorist organisations.

Naming some of such channels, the minister cited Biafra Digest TV, Umu Biafra TV, Biafra Digest, Asa Biafra TV.

According to him, some of the channels use local languages and dialects during
their broadcast to evade being censored.

“Your platform is a platform of choice for IPOB, a proscribed terrorist group.

“We implore you not to make your platform available to them for their acts of violence and destabilization.

“We hope you will cooperate with us as well as our security agencies in this direction,” he said.

Responding, Charles Murito, Google Regional Director, Government Affairs told the Minister; “We share the same sentiment and we do not want our platforms to be used for wrong purposes 

“I want to assure you that we are going to take this issue seriously.

“Provide us with the list of the channels, we will work with you to ensure that they will no longer be of nuisance to you,” he said.