NARC SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOWS AND SUBJECT EXPERTS MAKE PRESENTATIONS

By: Our Reporter

The Monday 11 November 2024 edition of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) Weekly Subject Experts’ Presentation was held at Board Room, TY Buratai Block, Abuja. There were two presentations made by the Subject Experts on, Western Europe, and North America.

The first presentation by Maj Gen GU Chibuisi subject expert on Western Europe centered his presentation on how, French Parents Sue Tiktok over alleged Failure to Remove Harmful Content. The Reuters News Agency reported that seven French parents have filed a lawsuit against social media platform TikTok, accusing TikTok of exposing their adolescent children to harmful content, which they allege led to two of the teenagers, both aged 15, taking their own lives. The families’ lawyer, Laure Boutron-Marmion, confirmed the news on Monday 4 Nov 24. The lawsuit claims that TikTok’s algorithm exposed the teens to content promoting suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders.

The families are pursuing joint legal action in the Créteil Judicial Court, marking a first for such a collective lawsuit in Europe. “The parents want TikTok’s legal liability to be recognized in court,” said Boutron-Marmion, adding, “This is a commercial company providing a product to consumers who are minors. Therefore, they must be held accountable for the product’s flaws.” Like other social media platforms, TikTok has long faced scrutiny over content moderation. Alongside Meta’s platforms, Facebook and Instagram, it faces hundreds of lawsuits in the US, accusing them of drawing and addicting millions of children to their applications, and adversely affecting their mental health. TikTok is however yet to comment on the latest allegations, though the company had previously stated that it takes children’s mental health seriously.

In his analysis and lessons for Nigeria, Maj Gen GU Chibuisi pointed out that, Social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, and Telegram have pervaded the lives of many Nigerians, profoundly influencing their behaviour, values and societal roles. A recent survey by Data Reportal highlighted that Nigeria has over 33 million active social media users, and that a significant percentage of them engage daily on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook (DataReportal, 2023). This widespread access allows users to consume and share multimedia content at unprecedented rates, shaping their opinions, social interactions, and aspirations. Nigeria’s youth population ration is one of the largest in the world, comprising about 60% of the nation’s total population (World Bank,2022).

The influence of social media on this demographic group is substantial, driven by several factors, including increased smartphone penetration, affordable internet data packages and a shared desire for social connectivity. Social media has increasingly become a platform where Nigerian youths engage in illicit activities, influenced by the anonymity and accessibility the platforms provide. It has spurred notable cases of sextortion, where individuals use deception and blackmail to exploit others. A tragic incident involved 17-year-old Jordan DeMay from Michigan, USA, who fell victim to a sextortion scheme orchestrated by three Nigerian youths: Samuel Ogoshi, 22, Samson Ogoshi, 20, and Ezekiel Robert, 19. The men posed as a woman on Instagram, convincing DeMay to send explicit photographs, and then demanded money, threatening to release the images. When DeMay was unable to pay the extortion amount, he faced relentless pressure that ultimately led him to take his own life (Detroit Free Press, 2023).

He recommended that the Federal and State Governments should collaborate with technology companies to improve age-based restrictions on social media in Nigeria and also tighten enforcement of cybercrime laws and collaborate with social media companies to monitor and remove contents that promote fraudulent or extremist activities.

Similarly, the second presentation by Brig Gen B Sarki subject expert on North America focused his presentation on how, Two Women and Boy Shot Dead at Altar to Folk Saint Cult “La Santa Muerte” in Mexico. A local leader of the Mexican folk saint cult “La Santa Muerte” was gunned down at an altar to the skeletal figure on 6 Nov 24, two other people were killed and eight injured in the attack in the city of Leon, in Guanajuato state the authorities said. The saint whose name means roughly “Holy Death” is often worshipped by convicts, drug addicts and criminals, along with other people who feel excluded or are experiencing difficulties in life. The saint, who is not recognized by the Roman Catholic church, is usually depicted as a female skeleton, and is supposed to protect her followers from death.

But that didn’t work for “La Madrina Chayo,” a woman considered a leader of the cult in the north-central state of Guanajuato. Prosecutors did not give her real name, in keeping with Mexican law, but the nickname “La Madrina Chayo” was used by a faith healer also known as “Chayito.” She, another woman and a boy were shot dead on Friday 1 Nov 24 as they prepared the annual Santa Muerte celebration. There was no immediate information on the condition of the eight people, including two children wounded in the shooting attack on the street corner altar. Like Mexico’s Day of the Dead holiday, the Santa Muerte is honored on Nov 1 and 2. The Roman Catholic leaders in Mexico have condemned the deity’s connection to violence and the illicit drug trade.

In his analysis and lessons for Nigeria Brig Gen B Sarki noted that, In Nigeria, religious practices and spirituality play a significant role in shaping social dynamics, with various syncretic belief systems blending indigenous African religions, Islam and Christianity. While the Santa Muerte cult is not present in Nigeria, similar forms of folk spirituality, often intertwined with criminal activity, can be found. In many Nigerian communities, traditional religious practices still hold significant cultural importance, particularly among ethnic groups in the South, East, Middle Belt and some parts of the North, where ancestral worship, the veneration of local deities, and the use of charms and amulets (often for protection, wealth, or power) are common. These practices are sometimes fused with Christian and Islamic elements, creating unique forms of syncretism that can include ritual sacrifices, consultations with spiritual mediums, and the use of occult practices to achieve material or spiritual goals.

In some cases, these religious practices are associated with organized crime or violence, particularly in regions with high levels of socio-economic inequality, political instability, and corruption. For instance, youth cults or secret societies, such as the Aiye and Eiye cults in the South West, use a mix of traditional beliefs and modern rituals to enforce loyalty, intimidate rivals, and maintain power. These cults sometimes engage in violent activities, including ritual killings, extortion, and kidnappings. Similarly, certain internet fraud rings (often referred to as yahoo boys) use spiritual rituals and charms to protect themselves from law enforcement or to attract wealth, in a manner akin to how criminal organizations in Mexico might use Santa Muerte as a symbol of protection and power. While the specific figure of Santa Muerte does not appear in Nigerian religious practices, similar themes of using spirituality for personal or criminal gain can be observed across various sectors of Nigerian society.

He recommended that the FGN should establish specialized units to combat religiously motivated crime and cults, and enhance intelligence-sharing and surveillance and also strengthen the rule of law to ensure swift prosecution of cult-related violence and enforce legal frameworks to protect against harmful religious practices.

NARC SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOWS AND SUBJECT EXPERTS MAKE PRESENTATIONS