Foreign

Gabon Places Ban on Facebook, TikTok over Derogatory Posts

By Web News 191

Gabon on Wednesday has placed ban on Facebook and TikTok, hours after the media regulator announced their suspension due to the risk of “conflict-inducing ” posts.

According to report, Gabon’s media regulator on Tuesday announced the suspension of social media platforms “until further notice”, blaming content posted online for stoking conflict and division in society.

The High Authority for Communication imposed “the immediate suspension of social media platforms in Gabon”, its spokesman Jean-Claude Mendome said in a televised statement.

He said “inappropriate, defamatory, hateful, and insulting content” was undermining “human dignity, public morality, the honour of citizens, social cohesion, the stability of the Republic’s institutions, and national security”.

The communications body spokesman also cited the “spread of false information”, “cyberbullying” and “unauthorised disclosure of personal data” as reasons for the decision.

“These actions are likely, in the case of Gabon, to generate social conflict, destabilise the institutions of the Republic, and seriously jeopardise national unity, democratic progress, and achievements,” he added.

The regulator did not specify any social media platforms that would be included in the ban.

However, the regulator said “freedom of expression, including freedom of comment and criticism,” remained “a fundamental right enshrined in Gabon”.

Less than a year after being elected, Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema has faced his first wave of social unrest, with teachers on strike and other civil servants threatening to down tools.

School teachers began striking over pay and conditions in December, and protests over similar demands had since spread to other public sectors — health, higher education and broadcasting.

Punch/Edited by Taiwo Akinola

Feature

Fact-Checking: Facebook User Shares Altered Image, Claims Two-Headed Man Arrived Nigeria

By Web News 519

By Olufisoye  Adenitan

Onilogbo Hakeem Effect at AMCA Awards 

Image Source: Punch 

Claim: A Facebook user,  Very Dark Man, has claimed that a two-headed man has arrived in Nigeria. 

Verdict: Misleading. Available findings showed that the image is an artistic work produced by Onilogbo Hakeem Effect for a movie scene in the Anikulapo series, Rise of the Spectre.

Full Text

Nigeria has creative customs and artistic talents among its citizens. The concept of art can be found in how humans express their feelings, knowledge, and ideas. Sometimes, it is used for creative expressions in movies.

On March 6, 2024, a Facebook user, Very Dark Man, recently posted an image of a two-headed man claiming that he had just arrived in Nigeria. 

Screenshot from Very dark Man Facebook page 

Source : Very Dark Man page

A screenshot of the post on the Very Dark Man page on  Facebook on March 5, 2024. Indications on the profile picture show that the profile is not for the popular Very Dark  Man.

“See Gobe! Man wey get two heads don land for Naija!😱😱😱 Wonders no go ever finish 😱😱Dem don discover a man with two heads for Naija. Some people dey talk say na film scene, but we never sabi for sure. Dis tori don scatter ground. We go update una as e dey unfold. Video on my Facebook stories,” he said.

The post has received several engagements, including 998 likes, 416 comments, and 118  shares.

While some readers do not believe the assertion, some appear to think that it might be true.

Patience Peter commented: “Wetin I they see for India don reach Nigeria. God abeg ooo” suggesting   belief in the narrative. 

Another commentator, Phina Ebi said: “Conjoin twins.”

Due to some readers’ comments that suggest that they believed the narrative, DUBAWA conducted this verification to set the record straight.

Verification

DUBAWA investigation revealed that the artwork originated from famous pyrotechnics and a prop expert, Onilogbo Hakeem Effect. He posted the image on his Facebook page on March 5, 2024, and a video of the art on his Instagram page. The video background also reflected a movie scene, and Hakeem Effect’s caption revealed it is an artistic work for Kunle Afolayan’s movie Anikulapo Series.  

“Anikulapo series of the spectre, if you can think the impossibilities @hakeemeffect will bring to life. Thanks to Kunle Afo for thinking out of the box,” part of the Onilogbo Hakeem Effect caption with the video reads.

Hakeem Effects [Hakeem Onilogbo Ajibola]  is a Nollywood make-up artist specialising in special effects. He is also the founder and chief Executive of  “Trick International,” a special effects and prosthetics company serving a range of productions in the Nollywood Film Industry. He has worked on films like Omo ghetto, King of Boys, and the Sagaf. One of his latest works was on the Anikulapo film.

“Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre” is a six-part epic TV mini-series based on the successful 2022 movie “Anikulapo”, directed and produced by Kunle Afolayan. The film was launched on Netflix on March 1, in over 190 countries across the globe.

Conclusion

The images in question do not depict a two-headed man arriving in Nigeria. It is an artistic work, used to represent a character in the Anikulapo series. The claim is, therefore, misleading.

The researcher produced this fact-check for the DUBAWA 2024 Kwame KariKari Fellowship, in partnership with Olufisoye Adenitan, FRCN positive fm Akure Ondo state Nigeria, to facilitate the ethos of “truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.

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Technology

FG Orders Twitter, Tik Tok, Others to Appoint Country Reps

By Web News 692

The National Information Technology Development Agency has disclosed that interactive computer service platforms and Internet intermediaries are required to fulfill certain conditions in running their services in Nigeria.

These conditions are stated in the recently released Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries (online platforms).

This is according to a statement issued by NITDA on Monday.

The statement read in part, “NITDA wishes to present to the public a Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries for future review and input.”

The Code of Practice was developed by NITDA alongside the Nigerian Communications Commission and National Broadcasting Commission,with input from platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Google, and Tik Tok.

One of such conditions in the Code of Practice is that each online platform is required to have a country representative, who will interface with the Nigerian authorities.

This means that Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Google, Tik Tok and other interactive online platforms are required to have country representatives.

Other conditions include registering with the Corporate Affairs Commission as a legal entity, complying with tax obligations, and abide by regulatory and legal demands.

The Code of Practice is aimed at safeguarding the fundamental human rights of Nigerians and non-Nigerians living in Nigeria, and regulating interactions on online platforms.

Punch/Olaolu Fawole

News

Reactions Trail Social Media Handles Breakdown

By Web News 1282

For millions of Social media networks, WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, the world came to standstill midday on Monday, 4th October, 2021.

 Users on the social media outlet could neither send nor receive information as outages hit the platforms. Downdetector, which tracks outages, said about ten million six hundred thousand people reported problems worldwide

Some residents of Ibadan, who spoke with Radio Nigeria, said the outage on the social media platforms affected them a great deal.

However, some other residents, the development had little impact on them as they utilized other platforms for transactions.

Services were later restored after about six hours. The outage was said to have been caused by a fault in configuration.

Korede Akinade

Health

Coronavirus: Ogun Launches Android App

By Web News 936

The Ogun State Government has launched a mobile application to enhance information dissemination among health workers.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, who made this known at the Emergency Operation Committee held on Sunday in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, said the Android application was one of the measures to contain the Coronavirus incident.

Dr Coker said that the mobile device christened “CommCare” will serve as one resource for information about case definition and will help health workers at the primary health center to easily do risk assessment before it escalate.

The Commissioner pointed out that the application has been rolled out at Ewekoro Local Government area to enhance the activities of health workers.

Dr Coker revealed that the application would be deployed for use in two other priority areas, including, Ado-Odo/Ota and Ifo Local Government areas respectively, given the volume of industrial activities in their locality.

The Executive Secretary, Ogun State Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola, in a remark, commended the ministry of Health for coming up with the initiative of having a mobile application that will aid health workers at this crucial moment.

He assured that all primary health centers will use the mobile application to alert the State of any form of emergency.